If the Stiletto Fits
by brienandrea20
Summary: A modern day retelling of Cinderella that is mostly inspired by the original story. Sarah is 21 years old, just trying to get through life and deal with her step-mother and step-sisters. Meanwhile, Jareth Kingsman is NYC's most eligible bachelor, throwing New Year Eve's biggest party. Rated M for later chapters. AU, for this doesn't fall under the normal Labyrinth setting.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! So this is a story that's been cooking in my head for a while. I'm sure there are plenty of other stories like this one out there (maybe anyway) but this is my take on it. It's inspired by Cinderella, only it's set in modern times, not the 16th century. I can't write Sarah's dialogue as too fancy like how those days were, it's just too cheesy to me. No dark Jareth, sorry KBates (haha). Also... this is kind of an alternate universe Labyrinth fanfiction story so to speak. The Labyrinth won't play a vital role in this story at all, but Sarah is still Sarah and Jareth is still Jareth. Kind of. You'll see. haha. I have no idea how long I intend to make this story, so we'll see as it moves forwards. Any suggestions or comments you want to provide me go for it :) I hope you enjoy this one!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** ** _Labyrinth,_** **nor am I making any profit off of these stories. They are merely for entertainment, and any characters mentioned are owned by Jim Henson, et. al.**

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"My life started out like any one else's- filled with love, laughter, and happiness. I had the most amazing parents in the world, both of whom loved me unconditionally and I was the epicenter of their world. My father was a respected attorney and owned a large portion of land in the suburbs of New York, while my mother was an acclaimed actress for Broadway. She and my father couldn't have been more in love, and life couldn't have been more perfect.

Everything changed though with my mother's death. I was just nine years old when she passed away from pneumonia, and my broken hearted father didn't know what to do. I was devastated of course, and he tried his best, I knew that. But he was left to raise a daughter on his own, and somewhere along the way he got a little lost, leaving me to fend for myself on some days; I had to learn to cook, clean, and get to school on my own when the occasion called for it. His love for me never went unnoticed though, and I tried not to be so hard on him, despite my worries, concerns, and occasionally, bitterness.

But then something wonderful happened; he met a woman three years later at a social event. Irene seemed like the perfect step-mother: she had two lovely daughters of her own, Isabella and Sophia, both who were my age. Irene was caring, fun, and seemingly had so much love to offer both my father and I. Even though Isabella and Sophia were often in their own little world, I was just happy that my father had found love again and I not only could I have a mother once more, but I would get two sisters out of it too.

My hopes for a perfect family were amplified after my father married Irene shortly after meeting her, possibly from wanting me to have a mother figure in my life again, and a year later they conceived a child. My brother Tobias, most commonly referred to as Toby, was the apple of their eyes after his birth, and I couldn't have been happier with the addition to our blended family. But everything was not as it seemed.

I was fourteen when Isabella and Sophia went off to stay with their father for a year to study abroad in Europe. My father tried persuading Irene and the girls to include me, but I got the sad and strange feeling that I didn't totally fit in with them, nor was I accepted among them. This was obvious once we reached the age of adolescence, and I began noticing how my step-sisters would make snide comments about my body changing faster than theirs, and how I looked like a scarlet at only fourteen years old. Irene didn't do much to stop them either. In fact, it was almost as if she was egging them on and I was baffled at her sudden change towards me. What had I done wrong?

After Irene and the girls reluctantly agreed to have me come on the trip with them, I politely declined and told them I wanted to just stay home and focus on my studies in the states. That earned me some snickering from my spoiled and bratty step-sisters, _and_ from Irene who just couldn't fathom why a young girl didn't want to travel. She chastised me all the time for not showing interest in boys as well, but I was simply not interested in them or the likes of The Backstreet Boys, Ricky Martin, and NSYNC like most girls in the 90's were. Rather, I spent my time obsessing over David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin albums. Music that actually meant something.

I poured myself into reading and writing as well, from poetry to short stories. It was cathartic and a way to express myself, since I was unable to within the family that I had grown to strongly dislike, except for my dad. My father was constantly preoccupied with work though, and making sure Irene was happy since the woman had expensive taste, and Irene, well- she only cared about Toby and the well-being of her daughters who were off at boarding school. Needless to say, I treated poor Toby with disdain, for he was a constant reminder of the life I didn't wish for. It also didn't help that Irene constantly made me watch him while she was off gallivanting for her social affairs.

My father was either completely oblivious to how Irene treated me with contempt, or he ignored it, for he didn't wish to lose what he had supposedly gained. I kept my mouth shut and tried not to let Irene's snarky comments and behavior get to me. Instead, I took it with a grain of salt and tried focusing on my relationship with my dad. He and I were still really close, and I could tell Irene was doing anything to squash that relationship. I guess she kind of succeeded because when I was fifteen my world came crashing down again.

He died in a car accident, and I was completely lost and grief-stricken. My step sisters remained in Europe for the funeral, and much to mine and Irene's dismay, she was stuck with me for several more months until they returned. She wasted no time in moving us to the city with my father's money, and opened up her own cleaning business, evening forcing me to be an employee so I could pay for my own college fund someday. Apparently, there wasn't enough money from my father's fortune to support me since she had three other children to take care of.

Her behavior towards me only got worse as I got older. I'm twenty one now and have been demeaned by the likes of her, my step-sisters, and the countless people they surround themselves with. Somehow, Toby and I have managed a close relationship, despite my negative feelings for him when I was a teenager. He's the only living thing left that reminds me of my father, and for him, I changed my attitude towards Toby. I go to NYU on a partial scholarship, I'll be graduating in a few months, and yes, I still live with Irene and the twat-twins."

I took a deep breath as I finished explaining all of this to the school counselor, and closed my eyes briefly, trying to settle in the chaise I had been laying down on for the last twenty minutes. As my eyes shut, all I could picture was my mom and dad when I was just a little girl and how we'd lay outside on the grass, trying to come up with animals that the clouds resembled. I couldn't help but smile to myself, and I tried not to cry from the wounds splitting open due to the lengthy description of my life for the past twelve years.

There was only one other person who knew my backstory in great detail, and it was my best friend, Anthony. He had been with me every step of the way since I moved to the city, and since he was unable to convince me to move out of Psycho House, he persuaded me to talk to an unbiased third party to see what their perspective was on everything. I gulped, choking back tears, and exhaled, sitting up.

"So, what do you think?" I asked the counselor, trying my best to look cool and reserved.

Doctor Rosa looked at me intently, her fingers rubbing along her upper lip. I stared back, taking in her appearance. She was a rather attractive woman for being at least fifty years old. She was in terrific shape, and the black, knee length dress she wore accentuated her curves. Her brown hair was cut in a bob, and she had killer accessories.

"First of all, I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of both of your parents, Sarah," she told me. "That is hard on any young child growing up, and I'm honestly pleased to hear you haven't lashed out like some kids would after losing their parents. I would like to know though…Has Irene ever physically abused you?"

I shook my head, pursing my lips and looked to the floor. "No. No, she never abused me physically. But she definitely always talks down to me, and well. Demeans me all the time. But she's never hit me."

The doctor tapped her pen on the notebook, studying me. "I see. I know you said she'd belittle you by egging your step-sisters on when they made fun of you, but could you give me some examples of things _she's_ said to you, personally?"

I looked up to the ceiling, trying to think of which story would be best suited for this. There were too many times when Irene would make subtle yet snide comments, but I thought of one that had hurt me deeply when she said it.

"There was one time in high school, right before Senior Prom where she told me no one had asked or wanted me because I wasn't very pretty or very bright, and that her daughters were the epitome of perfection and beauty. If you saw them, you might agree. They are pretty, so naturally they were put in modeling years ago, though they haven't been too successful. Anyway, it's just things like that. She'd always compare Isabella and Sophia to me, she's never shown me love, or even respect. I just don't understand why she hates me so much."

Doctor Rosa closed her notebook, and gave me a serious expression. "Sarah- I hope you know and see your own worth. Not only are you extremely beautiful, but you're _very_ bright, despite what your step-mother says. I've seen your school record, and you've managed to take on a full load, focus on two degrees, and maintain a near 4.0 GPA. Additionally, you're heavily involved in the writing club _and_ you tutor others."

"I also work at a coffee shop," I added. "Oh, and at the cleaning business still."

"My point is- you're an exceptional and strong, young woman. Have you taken into consideration that your step mother is… _jealous_ of you?"

"Jealous?" I questioned. "How do you mean?"

"Well, it isn't uncommon for mothers of any kind to feel threatened by their daughters. Unfortunately I've seen it many times, and it all stems from their own insecurities. Perhaps your step-mother felt like second fiddle."

"Second fiddle?" I repeated.

"Yes, she wanted to be number one in your father's life, but his love for you usurped that, and perhaps that's why she and your father had Toby so soon; to take the attention away from you. And you say your step sisters are pretty? Again- Irene is probably threatened of your own looks and appeal, so she tries to keep you down in the dumps that way you don't surpass your sisters'."

I scrunched my eyebrows and bit my lip; I had never thought of it that way before. I guess it made sense, but that would be tooting my own horn, and I didn't deserve to give myself that much credit.

"I appreciate your opinion," I told Doctor Rosa, "But that can't be true. I'm nothing special. I don't wear fancy clothes, I don't have the hot and popular boyfriend, I'm lucky enough to call one person my best friend, and I haven't had the courage to move out of the household I despise so much."

Doctor Rosa gave me a comforting smile before she spoke again. "May I ask you another question?"

I sighed, feeling overwhelmed with this 'session.' I was going to kill Anthony. "Yeah, sure."

"Why _do_ you live at home still, in an environment that isn't healthy for you? Is it financial related?"

I nodded my head slowly, and raised my eyebrows. "Yep. It's practically impossible to afford living on your own in a decent area in New York City on minimum wage, even with two part time jobs. And it isn't like I can afford to just take off and go to another state. I have in state tuition, and that alone is expensive."

Sighing, I continued. "Plus, most of the money I earn goes _towards_ my tuition, since I only have a partial scholarship. The money that's leftover is put away so that when I graduate, I can make do for a few months until I find a full time job at a publishing firm. I'm interning at a pretty popular one right before graduation, but it's non-paid. So you can see my dilemma. As long as I work at Irene's cleaning business, I don't need to pay rent, so I guess that's the least she could do."

The good Doctor looked at me with sympathy, and I wanted to slap it right off her face. I didn't need anyone's pity for my situation. Sure it sucked, but it could be worse. At least, that's what I told myself.

"If there's any advice I can offer you Sarah," she began, "It's to remain strong then. It seems like you have your mind made up about what you plan on doing with your life, but…you're still so young and I hate to see anyone who has so much to offer stuck in this position. Don't let Irene bring you down; don't let her diminish your self-esteem and spirit. I hate to admit this, but it seems like she's done a good job at doing it thus far, which is disappointing. You said you're nothing special and that isn't true. If your parents were alive today I'm sure they would have done everything in their power to ensure you felt treasured and beautiful in all aspects. I'm a mother myself, and let me tell you- you _are_ special, Sarah. Don't let anyone, _anyone,_ step all over you. You're worth more than that."

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes again at Doctor Rosa's words. I hadn't heard anyone besides Anthony tell me that in a long time. And he was gay, so it isn't like he says it romantically. Nonetheless, I appreciated her kind words, even if she felt compelled to say them, and gave her a grateful smile. I stood up to give her a hug. I didn't care if it was unprofessional or not.

"Thank you. For listening," I said. "And for saying all of that."

"Of course, dear," she replied, patting my back. She pulled away and held onto my shoulders. "You know, Sarah- maybe it would do you good to go out and live a little. You're twenty one; go be twenty one! I probably shouldn't say this, but…you're at the age where you should be making mistakes with boys, and hugging the toilet on Friday nights."

I blushed and laughed at the thought of me getting belligerently drunk and acting like a tart with a bunch of guys. I wasn't exactly a virgin, but that experience was awful and something I tried to forget about.

"Yeah well. I hardly have time to myself these days, so parties and boys aren't really on my agenda," I said disappointingly. "My free time usually consists of me watching Toby and studying."

Doctor Rosa frowned. "Sarah, you're almost to the finish line. Don't be scared to tell _Irene_ no. You know…there is that masquerade bash happening on New Year's Eve. Everyone in the city will be going."

"You mean everyone who is rich and matters," I contradicted.

"So you have heard of it? Why don't you go?" she asked me.

I rolled my eyes at the suggestion. "Of course I've heard about it. It's one of the biggest events of the year. And I don't have any interest in going because I can't picture myself being surrounded by a bunch of former debutantes and hoity toity, stuck up, rich bitches. Those girls only go to try and seduce Jareth Kingsman anyway."

"Well, of course," Doctor Rosa said laughing. "He's New York City's most eligible bachelor. But I'm not saying you should go to act like a fool as those girls do. You should simply go…to go," she said, throwing her hand up in the process. "Think about it."

I mumbled maybe, causing Doctor Rosa to chuckle. We said a few more things to each other and then she stood up with me to hug me again before we said our goodbyes. As I left her office building and walked outside to meet the frigid December air, I saw flyers plastered everywhere about winning tickets to the Masquerade Bash on New Year's Eve. I walked to one of the bulletin boards on campus and took one of the flyers, reading it over.

 _WIN TICKETS TO NEW YORK CITY'S BIGGEST NYE PARTY!_

 _All you have to do is fill out the questionnaire on the back of this flyer and submit it in the Drop Box in the Student Union by next Friday. Five lucky winners will be picked randomly and will get two free tickets to attend entrepreneur and NYU's biggest donator, Jareth Kingsman's bash!_

 _Ticket holders will be offered a free limo pickup, a three course dinner, and unlimited drinks. This is a 21 and over party, so if you are under the age of 21, you will not be qualified to win, nor attend._

 _Don't miss out on the best party New York City has to offer and come celebrate and ring in the New Year with Jareth Kingsman!_

I scoffed at the flyer and threw it away in the nearest trash bin. How conceited could you be to assume college students wanted to attend your 'chic' party? I knew hardly anything about this Jareth fellow, other than the fact he was in his late-thirties and was practically a billionaire. He was constantly mentioned in news articles, having being on Forbes list multiple times, though I never paid much attention to them so I had no idea what the man looked like. If he was this big deal, then he had to be good looking.

Despite how lame he sounded on so many levels though, it was also because of him that I was able to receive a partial scholarship at NYU; the **Kingsman Writing Scholarship** had been awarded to me after submitting a story my senior year of high school, so I guess he wasn't totally a douche. I sighed and saw my own breath, stemmed from the coldness outside. I cracked my neck and began my trek to the coffee shop to put in a few hours. Anytime I didn't need to be home was always a good time.

As I walked to work, I thought about everything Doctor Rosa had told me. Not that she gave me much advice, I mean students weren't exactly paying customers. But I appreciated her words more than she could know, and in that moment I realized how much I missed my mom and dad. I tried not to think about either one of them too much, for it was too painful, and I didn't ever want to feel sorry for myself. But I couldn't help but feel the three of us had missed out on so much in life and the could be's and what if's.

I didn't know much about life in general, not having had much experience with practically anything, but I did know one thing: I would keep my head held high and finish out these last few months under Irene's flippant wing so I could graduate with honors and be done with her and her daughters once and for all.

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 **AN: It'll get more exciting from here, I promise :) Also yeah, there is a gay character this story because...why not? I feel like I have to say it because, unfortunately, I've seen some negative reactions from others that some have had gay characters in prior stories. It's 2017 guys...enough said. Stay open minded. Please.**

 **Why doesn't Sarah just move out if she's 21? I know it sounds simple and for some it might be. Let's just say for the sake of this story, and in reality for the most part, it's hard to find a GOOD paying job that doesn't require a degree. Sarah wants a career, not something where she is living paycheck to paycheck. Yeah life sucks at home, but she's willing to put up with it for another few months that way she can save money and not pay thousands of dollars on rent in a city that is beyond expensive. As is said in the story- Sarah is using whatever money she earns on tuition. Has anyone looked up tuition? It's expensive, especially at NYU, even with a scholarship. So yeah, moving out sounds easy, but there's a lot of moving parts to it. Believe me, I've been there as a college student.**

 **Being that this is the first chapter- wills and all that money stuff will be discussed later. Be patient ;)**

 **Thank you Wensicia for bringing the title to my attention by the way haha I did the title on my phone and I guess it didn't auto correct and I didn't even notice.**

 **Also, here is a brief timeline of events that has happened to Sarah thus far:**

 **Sarah was born in June of 1983**

 **Her mother died in 1992- 9 years old**

 **Her father re-married in 1995- 12 years old**

 **Sarah's father and Irene had Toby in 1996- 13 years old**

 **Sarah's father died in 1998- 15 years old**

 **Sarah starts college in August of 2001- 18 years old**

 **Finishing up her last year at NYU in 2004- 21 years old; she will graduate in May 2005.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hot damn, Ch. 2 posted already! This will probably be my last update for at least a couple of weeks. Just wanted to get things going a little bit ;)**

 **WARNING: Masturbatory situations are referenced near the end so...if you don't like the thought of masturbation then skip it when you come to it? Just sayin.**

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I always loved New York City during Christmas time; Rockefeller Center was of course always a treat to see, Central Park was filled with carolers, and FAO Schwarz was a consumer favorite for its décor and toys. Even though the holidays always made me feel a little depressed, it was also a reminder that things in my life weren't as bad as others had it. Sure I didn't have much of a family to celebrate with, but I had Anthony, a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in at night, I was healthy and young, and I didn't need to worry about my next meal, so Christmas put things into perspective for me.

Usually that all changed though when I got home and Irene woke me up in the mornings, being as loud as possible. Those moments made me miserable. I tried avoiding her and my step-sisters as much as I could, but somehow they always managed to find ways to nag at me about something. _Sarah, do this; Sarah, do that; Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!_ How hard is it to put dishes away and clean up after yourself?

I should be grateful that Irene even let me stay at the apartment that she owned, and I suppose in a way I was; she could have kicked me out a long time ago, but for some reason she hadn't. I suspected it had more to do with the fact that she enjoyed tormenting me and having a personal housekeeper, rather than doing it out of the goodness of her heart. Still- she technically wasn't my personal guardian anymore the moment I turned eighteen, but we struck a deal that as long as I continued working for her, I could live there as nothing more than a roommate. At least, that's how it seemed.

Putting up with her and her daughter's bullshit though was reaching a breaking point, and it seemed Irene only got worse as I got older, and I didn't know how much longer I could stand it. _Five more months, Sarah. You can do it._

Sighing from being out of breath when I finally reached the coffee shop, I walked in and relished in the warmth. It was fucking cold outside, and I smiled when Anthony saw me from across the shop and yelled, "Hey, baby girl! I have your tea!"

I took off my scarf and beanie, brushed my long hair out a little, and walked over to my best friend. There were only a couple of regulars inside sitting down, so I didn't mind that Anthony felt the need to shout.

I met him shortly after my father died, when Irene uprooted us from the suburbs to the city. I was a wreck my first week of school, but Anthony was the only one who befriended me and we had been inseparable ever since. He was extremely good looking and girls were always incredibly disappointed when they learned he was gay. " _Such a waste_ ," they'd say. Not for men, anyway.

He was tall and muscular, with blue, blue eyes and had a chiseled face. His brown hair had a messy look to it and it swept over his forehead, just above his eyes. He had a killer smile too, and I have to admit, if he wasn't my best friend and wasn't interested in males, I'd probably be attracted to him. But he was like a brother to me, even though people always thought he was my boyfriend. He didn't exactly act or sound gay, unless he was around people he was comfortable with, but he sure had his diva moments.

When I reached him, I hugged him and noticed he was wearing the cologne I had gotten him for his birthday a few weeks ago. It smelled heavenly. "Ugh, thank you. What would I do without you?" I asked rhetorically.

Handing me my herbal tea with a splash of honey and lemon, Anthony said, "You would probably be in a nut house by now, honestly. So how was your session with Doctor Rosa?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter containing all the pastries.

I groaned at his question, and began taking off my coat to replace it with an apron, exposing my long sleeve striped shirt and jeans. I knew he'd waste no time in asking me about that. Not responding to his interrogation right away, I sipped some of my tea and walked around to the other side of the counter so I could start taking people's orders when they came in, and Anthony followed me.

"Hellooooo?" he said, trailing behind. "Did she tell you you're nuts for having stayed in that asylum all these years?"

He couldn't see, but I rolled my eyes. I hated getting into this discussion with him. "Yeah, she asked me why I still live there."

"And?"

I turned around to face him and folded my arms. "I told her it was a financial issue. Which it is. I don't know why you continue to give me such shit for it after all this time."

"Because I care about your mental state and happiness, you stubborn brat," he replied. "I know you're afraid you won't make it out in the big bad world on your own until you land that publishing job, but I think you have enough saved up now where you'd be fine for several months. And you know me and my family would help you out."

Anthony always offered to let me stay with him, or lend me some money should I need it. He came from an extremely wealthy family and wanted for nothing. They owned franchises, this coffee shop being one of them. In fact- the reason I had this job was because of his family, and Anthony only worked here to see me. His parents didn't mind though; they loved me, but there was no way I'd take him up on his offer. He was right, I was stubborn. And way too proud to take anything more from his parents.

I unfolded my arms and shoved him lightly and playfully. "No. Absolutely not. I'm not going to impose on you and your family like that. They already do enough for me anyway, so stop." I paused and rested my hand on my forehead.

"Look, I only have five more months, alright? And yes, I have plenty saved up, but that's for when I'm out job hunting if the internship doesn't offer me a full time position. You do realize that every publishing firm requires a degree, right? Plus I need to be close enough to school. The Brooklyn campus is too inconvenient. And Toby needs me."

Anthony sighed, and grabbed me, so he could hug me. Kissing my forehead, he said, "Fine. I just hate to see you being there anymore. I mean, Jesus, Irene called here like four times earlier asking when you'd be home."

I broke free from Anthony's grasp, and gave him an apologetic look. Damn that woman. "Ugh, she is insane! You'd think she'd know my schedule by now."

"Sarah, I've been your friend for almost seven years and I still don't know your schedule. It changes all the time," he said chuckling.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I turned away from him and squatted to get some more cups out, but noticed that we were getting low. "Shit. Hey, Anthony?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you go to the back and get some more cups? We're running out up here."

"Sure thing. Be right back."

I stood up when I heard the store bell ring, indicating a customer had walked in. And what I saw nearly knocked me off my own two feet.

Coming into the shop was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He was tall, blonde, and his hair reached the end of his neck, just below his jawline. It was cut and layered perfectly, and he wore a crisp, blue suit. We never got customers this fancy in here, but boy was I glad that we had today. His entire demeanor screamed power and dominance, and if I had to guess, I'd say he was close to forty. I gulped when he reached the counter.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Hi. Um. How are you this evening?"

He smiled at me politely, and took his wallet out of his back pocket. "Freezing, currently. I was in the area and didn't realize how cold it was outside, so I figured a hot cup of coffee would do me good. How are you?"

And he had an English accent? This man was God's gift to the world. "I'm good, thanks. And yeah it's like the North Pole out, so you came to the right place," I replied. "We have coffee here." _What the hell, Sarah…_

Still smiling, he raised his eyebrows. "I would hope so, seeing as this is a coffee shop."

I let out a nervous chuckle, and scratched the back of my neck. Why was I so awkward? He looked up to the menu that was mantled above the register, and I just continued to stare at him like an idiot. I was never one to fawn over men, but something about this one made me feel all kinds of things. Desire? That was new. I was usually too preoccupied to even window shop, but lust at first sight was hitting me hard right now.

He peered back at me, and I straightened up, ready to take his order. I couldn't help but notice his eyes; they were blue, but one pupil seemed to be enlarged. How interesting…

"May I please have a venti Americano with three extra espresso shots?" he asked, bringing me out of my haze. "Oh and also a croissant, please."

"Yeah, of course," I replied, typing in his order on the machine. "Three shots, huh? Trying to stay awake all night?" I then asked, shyly looking up to him.

He gave me a lopsided grin and tiled his head. "Something like that. The workday never ends."

Sighing, I replied, "I know the feeling. That'll be $6.55."

He took a twenty out of his wallet, and handed it to me. "Aren't you a bit too young to say something like that?" he asked me.

I nodded my head once, and raised my brows, as I was getting his change. "You would think. But no, I have a full load that makes me want to explode."

Just when I was handing him back the change, I realized how wrong my words sounded. "I'm, sorry. That came out totally wrong."

He took the money I held out for him, and laughed, showing off a dazzling smile. "I think I know what you meant." He hesitated with the money in his hand, but instead of taking it all back for himself, he put the remainder of it inside the tip jar. "To help ease your full load," he added.

I smiled back, and said thank you, then went to grab him his coffee and croissant. I was so hot, the air outside sounded nice right now. Who was this guy, anyway? He looked important, but this was New York City, every man wore a nice suit to look and feel that way. I watched him slyly as he looked around the place in curiosity, and noticed there were a few people looking at him in wonder as well. God he was gorgeous. I didn't see a ring on his hand, though he'd probably think someone like me was way too young for him anyway. I'd never stand a chance with a guy like that.

I frowned at the thought, and finished filling up his coffee, grabbed his pastry, and walked back over to him.

"Here you go," I said.

"Thank you, very much," he said as he took a sip from the cup. He shut his eyes briefly, as if savoring the taste.

I puckered my lips, and raised my eyebrows again, waiting for him to say something about the coffee, but he never did. "Good?" I asked him, hesitantly.

Opening his eyes again, he answered, "Yes, I needed that. The coffee addiction is real."

I believed him. Anthony couldn't live without coffee, and I saw how grumpy he could get if he didn't get his fix. "Yeah, that's what I've heard," I stated. "I'm not much of a coffee drinker myself, surprisingly."

"Not even to appease your full load?" he asked, grinning devilishly, taking another sip of his coffee.

I felt myself blush; I couldn't believe I had said that earlier. "Somehow I manage to get by without caffeine, though I'm thinking it would help. Maybe I should start."

"Maybe you should. Wouldn't want you exploding prematurely, now would we?"

 _Jesus_. I couldn't help but laugh, the joke was too good. "No, I wouldn't want that." I bit my lip, hoping he would say more, but I got the feeling he had to go.

"Indeed. I wish you good luck with that," he said. "Perhaps the next time I'm here you can tell me all about your hectic load."

"Are you in the area a lot?" I wanted to know, a little too eagerly. I had never seen him in before, and it was in pretty popular area.

"Actually, yes. I work close by, but I never seem to have a moment to myself to grab a cup of coffee alone. I thought I'd try this place out. And I'm glad I did."

I felt myself grow incredibly hot as he smiled at me when he said those words. Was he dropping a hint? _Pff, get a grip a Sarah. He's just being polite._

When I didn't say anything back, he started talking again. "Well, I must be off then. Thank you for the coffee and croissant. Merry Christmas, if I don't see you."

 _No, don't go!_ "You're welcome. Merry Christmas to you, too."

He gave me one last smile, and headed out to the door. I let out a heap of air, and I was mildly surprised he had even engaged in small talk with me. Good lord knows he didn't have to.

"I looked everywhere in the back, and guess what? We ran out of cups."

I turned around, flushed as can be, to look at Anthony who just mentioned we had no more cups. Not that I cared, I was seriously floating on cloud nine. He could clearly tell, because he turned his head to the side and looked at with me concern.

"Are…you okay?" he asked me. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"What? What do you mean?" I said, playing stupid.

He crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes. "Who was the guy?"

"What guy?"

"The guy who just left that made you cream your panties."

I scoffed at his comment, and waved a hand at him. "It was no one." Turning away from him, I smiled to myself.

"You big fat liar," Anthony said. "Well, whoever he was. I'm glad to know that your lady parts are functioning correctly."

I flipped him the bird and heard him laugh from behind me.

I'm sure that man would know all the right things to do with my lady parts. I shivered from the thought, then sighed in disappoint knowing I'd probably never even see him again. Merry Christmas to me, all right.

* * *

After leaving the coffee shop about five hours later, I got home around 10 pm, and I was beat. I had classes starting at 7:30 am this morning, then had that counseling session, and work got crazy busy a few hours before closing. I never understood why everyone decided to drink coffee in the evening, but apparently that was a popular time.

The apartment was dark and dead silent, and I tried to be as quiet as a mouse so as to not wake anyone. God forbid I woke Irene up and interrupted the girls' beauty sleep. As I tiptoed through the entrance to my room, I suddenly felt my foot step on something plush and all I heard was wailing following by growling and a hiss. Fucking Damien! I hated that cat!

"God damnit, you stupid animal!" I tried whispering, but it came out much louder than I intended it.

"What did you do to him!" I suddenly heard, and whipped around to face Sophia, who had turned on the hallway light. Damien was _her_ cat, and she probably assumed I had just murdered the beast. She was wearing some ridiculous see through nightgown, her strawberry red hair braided to one side. The nightgown was almost too short, showing off her long thin legs.

I scrunched my eyes, giving her a look that suggested it wasn't my fault; the cat shouldn't have been laying there. "Nothing," I told her. "He was laying right in the middle of the hallway, and I obviously didn't see him there."

Sophia reached down to pick up the black creature, and petted him, trying to soothe him. "That mean old lady hurt you, didn't she?" she said in some stupid baby voice. Then she looked up to me, and gave me a scalding look. "Why don't you pay better attention next time?"

"Why don't you just keep him in your room? Or keep a light on so I can see?" I retorted. "Then we wouldn't have this problem."

Sophia opened her mouth, as if she couldn't believe I had just said that to her. "You know- you're lucky my mom is nice enough to let you stay here while you finish your stupid degree. You ought to be sleeping outside with the alley cats. Come on Damien, let's go."

She walked away with her evil cat, and I let out a huff, mumbling to myself what a bitch she was. I wish that spawn of Satan would rip her a new one. At this point I didn't care if I was loud or not, seeing as Sophia probably woke up the whole house with her dramatic outburst. When I got to my room I set my things down, and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as a way to calm myself down.

"Sarah?"

I turned to the voice who had just said my name, and saw Toby standing by my door, rubbing his eyes. Damnit, Sophia.

"Hey, Squirt," I said, walking towards him. "How ya doing?"

He yawned before answering me. "I'm good. Did you just get home?"

"Yeah, I did," I said, ruffling his brownish red hair. "You should be in bed, Mr."

Looking up to me with narrowed eyes he replied, "So should you."

He was right, I should be in bed. I was exhausted but I still had to shower and study. "I know, but I just got off work, kiddo. Now I need to study for an hour or two."

"Oh, okay. Well, can we go to the park tomorrow after I'm out of school?"

I gave him a weak smile, and I felt bad that I had to say no. I had one of my finals tomorrow, followed by a tutoring session, _and_ I had to work at the coffee shop at 4 pm till closing again. Then this weekend I was on cleaning duty for her highness and had to study even more for my finals next week. Ugh, F my life. Winter break couldn't come fast enough.

"I'm pretty stacked tomorrow, bud," I told him. "But tell you what- next week, after I'm done with all my finals, we can go get pizza, see a movie together, and get ice cream. Deal?"

He looked positively excited and hugged me. "Can we go see Blade: Trinity?!"

"Uh, absolutely!" I said. It was definitely not a kid's movie, but Irene didn't have to know that.

Toby punched the air in happiness, and I hoped to God nothing would come up next week that interfered with our plans. I hated letting him down. Irene was so strict with Toby that she hardly let him play with his friends. She was such a cow.

I laughed at his antics and picked him up, throwing him over my shoulder. "Okay, ninja turtle. Let's go to bed."

I tucked Toby in and kissed him goodnight, then retreated back to my room, wishing I had something to keep me awake. I plopped on my bed, my thoughts going back to earlier at the coffee shop where I met that guy and how he mentioned caffeine. Ugh, he was so perfect. I wish I had gotten his name.

Closing my eyes, I licked my lips, thinking how experienced he must be in every aspect in life, especially physically. You could just tell by looking at him that he was a man who took what he wanted and I couldn't help but imagine kissing him, and him touching me. My hand trailed down to unbutton my jeans, followed by my fingers going lower and lower. I found myself lost in a mishmash of images: visions of me and him, bodies naked and intertwined. I could scarcely fathom the effect a few minutes being in the man's presence had on me. It took a lot for me to get wound up like this, but here I was, wishing that something big and hard was deep inside me. I bit my lip, and my hand eased even lower, cupping myself.

My fingers slid down into the folds of my center, petting deeply, and I wanted to truly _feel_ myself, _all_ of myself, the way a man would explore me. The way _he_ would explore me. I pushed first one, then two fingers inside myself, then moved them in and out. _Ugh, I wish they were his fingers._ I moaned, and withdrew my fingers a moment later, whirling them around my clit, and then I reached inside my shirt to squeeze one breast.

I continued to press my fingers into the wet folds and moved two fingers in circles over my aching nub, thrusting against them. I rubbed harder and harder, and felt the orgasm building up. It hit me seconds later, causing my body to buckle, my pelvis jerking in a rough response. Each sensation echoed through me like a small explosion, ripping me apart, stealing my senses, and reason. All that mattered was pleasure, hard and consuming…until it ended.

Then I realized I had just masturbated and gotten myself off at the thought of a stranger. My eyes sprang open, and I jumped out of bed, fixing myself. The relief the orgasm had provided me began to sink in. The relief, and bit of shame from having sexual thoughts about someone I didn't even know. What insane behavior! Or was it? I slapped my hands over my face.

 _Just start studying. Don't think about this anymore. You'll never see him again most likely, and it isn't like he knows you just fantasized about him in your step-mothers home. You don't need a man. You don't need a man. You need to focus on school and getting a fabulous job._

I kept repeating this to myself as I began to study, but the more I thought about it…the more I realized that I _didn't_ need a man. I _wanted_ one. I let out a sad sigh.

If only Santa Claus was real.

* * *

 **AN: This is set in 2004 guys, so FAO Schwarz was still open. That place was awesome, by the way.**

 **Okay, if you guys want images as to what the characters look like, here goes:**

Sarah- Jennifer Connelly (obviously) from The Hot Spot. She looked banging in that movie.

Anthony- Chace Crawford. Think Gossip Girl days.

Jareth- David Bowie, circa 2001. Think of his look in Zoolander, and boom. Loveeee that look on him. YUM.

Sophia- Bella Thorne. Plus she plays bitchy roles all the time, so it's perfect.

Isabella- Even though she hasn't been referenced yet, she will plan on resembling Debby Ryan. Very pretty girl, look her up. Both she and he sister have that same red colored hair.

Irene- I personally want Irene to look attractive, so she'll look like Nicole Kidman in this story. Red hair=red headed daughters.

Toby- Levi Miller from Pan.

Doctor Rosa- Sigourney Weaver from Heartbreakers.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know I said I'd update in about two weeks, but I was hungover yesterday and figured I'd write haha. Thanks to those who have reviewed this story thus far. I have an idea of what I _want_ to happen with this story, so hopefully I can make that happen. I'm going to put the dates of what's happening in this chapter just so you have an idea of the time period before Christmas and NYE. **

* * *

**Friday, December 10th, 2004**

"Sarah!"

I mumbled and twitched in my sleep.

"Sarah!"

What was that shrieking noise?

" **SAR-AH!"**

I cursed out loud and propped my head up from my desk, wiping the drool away from my face. Apparently I had fallen asleep while studying last night, and I glanced at the time. It was 6:02 am, and I had only managed four hours of sleep. Lovely. I groaned and got up, albeit reluctantly, to face whoever had been shouting my name relentlessly.

Staggering to the kitchen still half asleep, I saw Irene standing with Sophia and Isabella, both of whom were in workout clothes and had their hair in pig style French braids. Sophia was busy doing something on her Razor Motorola, Isabella was filing her nails, and Irene was making coffee in her robe and green face mask. Must be nice to have such a relaxing morning…

"You called for me?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

Isabella was the first one to acknowledge my presence, only to look me up and down in disdain. "Ew, what are you wearing? Are those your clothes from last night?" she asked laughing. "Gross."

I glanced down at my outfit and realized I _had_ fallen asleep in my clothes from yesterday, _and_ I never made it to the shower. Great. Could this morning get any worse?

"Seriously, that is so disgusting," Sophia chimed in, looking up from her phone. "I guess you really did go sleep with the alley cats."

I stared dead panned at the two, who were giggling and high-fived each other. I could feel the anger rising in me, but I clenched my teeth instead, trying to fight back the insults I so badly wanted to throw out at them.

"Girls- rather than comment on Sarah's disastrous morning situation, why don't you tell her what you need? You have your training session in nearly thirty minutes," Irene then declared before turning back to the coffee machine.

"Right," Isabella said, turning serious now. "So, Sophie and I have an _extremely_ busy day today. After our workout with Sebastian, we have a photo shoot. Cosmopolitan saw one of our polaroid's and are doing a piece on twins in the city and they want to feature us. Fabulous, I know. Anyway, we don't want to carry all our stuff to the gym, so you'll have to stop by around 7:30 to bring it to us. Oh, and our protein shakes."

I merely blinked at the bimbo talking to me, who resumed filing her nails as if what she had just said was no big deal. Was she serious? That little arrogant son of a…

"I can't do that," I stated. "I have a test at 8 am and I'd be cutting it way too close. Can't you bring your stuff with you? Or have Irene bring it?"

All three redheads turned to look at me, as though what I just said was blasphemous. Of all days, I swear.

"Uh…I'm sorry, what was that?" Sophia retorted.

"I won't have time," I repeated.

"Well then make time," Isabella then commanded. "We don't want to lug our crap with us and our mom is busy taking care of Toby _and_ us. You know, her daughters. Our future is more important than your stupid test anyway. Just tell your teacher you were running late," she added before resuming her nail filing once again.

 _Stay cool, Sarah. Stay cool._ "Again- I can't do that. If I'm too late for the test, I won't be able to take it all. You want me out of here, right? Well if I fail this test then that puts me behind in graduating." That wasn't exactly true, but the threat should give them enough incentive to find an alternative. Wouldn't want them to be stuck with me for another year.

Irene rolled her eyes at me, and sighed. "Sarah, I'll write you a note to your professor saying you had an emergency this morning if I have to. Your teacher won't flunk you, stop being so dramatic. This is important for the girls."

What was I, chopped liver? This was ridiculous! What selfish, piece of shits. "This isn't high school, Irene," I said with more aggression than I meant to. "A note written by you won't cut it. Plus I'm twenty one, they'll think I'm a joke. I simply won't have time. I'm sorry."

Irene threw her hand up in a dismissal and turned to look away from me. "Fine, then."

I looked hesitantly at Irene. _It couldn't have been that easy…it never was.  
_

She faced me again, holding her coffee in one hand. "But don't be surprised if you don't have a job tomorrow with the cleaning business. And if you want to continue living here for free for the next few months, well. You'll need that job, won't you? Decisions, decisions." She sipped her coffee nonchalantly, giving me dagger eyes.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was being manipulated, threatened, and blackmailed all for the sake of these spoiled brats! It wasn't fair.

Sighing and realizing I had no choice and didn't want to run the risk of being homeless, I said, "Fine." I looked to the floor, completely dejected. "I'll bring them their stuff."

"Good girl," Irene replied, smiling.

I looked back up and saw the twins smiling to each other as well, like they were in on something together and I was the fool who didn't catch on to the joke.

"Girls, go finish getting ready, we'll need to leave in ten minutes," Irene told them.

They did as they were asked, and when they walked out of the kitchen, they both blew me kisses and gave me looks that suggested, _we always get what we want, sucker._ As my eyes followed them, I felt a hand on my shoulder and gasped. Irene was standing in front of me, and she looked like she had more to tell me.

"I know you probably think this isn't fair," she finally did say. "But life isn't fair, Sarah. You of all people should know that. Think of it this way instead though: you're helping the girls achieve their dream. You should feel _good_ about that and the fact that you're pulling your weight around here. Selfish behavior is ugly, Sarah. You don't want to be considered a selfish person, do you?"

Me? Selfish? That's hysterical. There was no arguing with this woman though. If manipulation had a poster child, Irene would be it. I needed to swallow my pride, as I always did.

"No, Irene. I don't want to be selfish," I answered bitterly, refusing to look her in the eyes.

"Good," is all I heard. "Because I don't think your father would want that either."

This caused to me look at Irene with pure disgust. My mouth fell open and my eyebrows furrowed in distress. How dare she! Why I oughta…

"Anyway," she began, taking her ugly hands off me, "I need to change, get the girls to their session, take Toby to school, and then meet Izzy and Sophie at the shoot. Their bags are already packed, and they left them just over there by the front door." She pointed to the area where the packed bags were, and all I could think was, _oh how generous of them to have packed their shit already._

Irene started to walk away, still carrying her coffee. She look ridiculous in her pink silk robe, and that green mask just made her look even more like the Wicked Witch of the West. I flipped her off as her back was turned to me, and hid it just in time as she spun back around.

"Oh, and don't forget the girls' protein shakes. I'd hate to see them starve. See you soon, _darling_."

My nostrils flared and I took a deep breath, the resentment building up in me. _Darling?_ Could she be anymore condescending! What had I done to deserve such animosity from these horrible people? All this because those fake and uppity wannabes have some sort of shoot?

' _Oh, look at me, I'm Sophia and Isabella, the twins from the Upper East Side! We have a photo shoot today, we're vain and vapid princesses who think the world should grovel at our feet, meh meh meh!'_

It was bullshit! Maybe I _should_ take Anthony up on that offer and live with him until graduation. But no, I couldn't do that to Toby. He isn't prepared for me to leave enough as it is, and it's no secret that Isabella and Sophia don't give a crap about him. He needed me. I just hope someday he sees his mom for what she really is- pure evil. Until then, I wouldn't say a bad thing about her to him; she was him mom, after all.

I huffed and went to make myself some breakfast. Well, cereal anyway. First of all, I was too lazy to cook, and I didn't have enough time. Plus, Cinnamon Toast Crunch sounded delicious. As I ate, I thought back on all the years of enduring this kind of behavior from the loons. It astounded me that people could be that mean and nasty for no reason.

I stared at my half eaten cereal and my mind was swirling about the different scenarios in which I could run away and live happily ever after in a world all alone without them. Why oh why, did my father not leave anything behind for me in his will? It was something I struggled with internally ever since Irene articulated that news to me nearly six years ago.

Anthony said she had to have been lying and encouraged me to fight her in probate court or in a civil lawsuit, but that would have taken lawyers, and lawyers were expensive. I was young and didn't have the financial means to battle Irene, and there weren't any attorneys who wanted to do it pro-bono. I finally convinced myself she was telling me the truth when she showed me paperwork and I was nowhere to be mentioned in it. She benefitted from my father's estate, and I got nothing. Six years later, I hadn't pursued the issue any longer.

"See ya later, alley cat!" I suddenly heard, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I looked up from my cereal and saw that Sophia and Isabella were on their way out the door, with Irene trailing behind them.

"Sarah, make sure Toby wakes up soon and make sure he eats," was the last thing I heard Irene say before she left.

When I heard the door slam, I waited a few seconds. When I was sure they had gone, I walked over to the couch to grab a pillow, put it over my face, and let out a loud and shrilling scream.

* * *

 **Six days later; (Thursday, December 16th, 2004)**

The next six days past by in a blur. I managed to make it to my final exam last Friday, only showing up five minutes late, just as Mr. Millstein was handing out the tests. If I didn't make it a point to have good relationships with my professors or get good grades, he potentially could have kicked me out. Instead, he nodded at me with understanding and handed me my test when I took a seat in the auditorium. _Those bitches are lucky they didn't cause me to miss this_ , I thought.

I then spent last weekend working and cleaning a bunch of apartments and condominiums, followed by an excess amount of studying in the evenings. I wanted to meet up with Anthony for a break, but I had five classes to study for, which meant no life outside school and work. Luckily, the Three Stooges left me alone most of the time, for they were at some fashion show and after parties, courtesy of Cosmopolitan. Toby stayed home with me, but he was consumed with video games and T.V. so he didn't interrupt me too much.

Now it was Thursday, and I was officially done with the semester, having taken my last test of the day. I left the English building, sighing in relief that I officially had one more semester left which meant I was that much closer to being gone and out of the loony bin. My day wasn't exactly over though, for I had to do one final tutoring session before work. I groaned at the thought and headed to the library where I would tutor a sophomore named Alex. He needed to review some last minute calculus tips for his final tomorrow, and while it wasn't my focus at school, I excelled in almost every subject regardless so it would be a piece of cake for me.

When I reached the library, I took a seat at one of the tables on the first floor and called Alex to leave a voicemail letting him know where I was at. While I waited, I began playing Snake on my cell phone and wondered when he would get here. So I waited. And waited. And waited…

After waiting for what felt like forever, I looked at the time and I saw that this kid was thirty minutes late, which meant he probably wasn't showing up. That little shit. There goes an extra forty bucks for me and a good grade on his test. I sighed and started packing up my stuff. It was only a little after 1 pm and I didn't need to be at the coffee shop for another couple hours.

With that, I left the library to go to the Grey Art Gallery; NYU's art museum. I always found solace there, and the museum was pretty good at updating some of the collections to incorporate students' work. I enjoyed art for the most part, despite not always 'getting' it, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

When I arrived, I shimmied out of my coat and showed the front desk my student ID card and began to walk from exhibit to exhibit, looking at the collections. I wandered around for a while throughout the quiet galleries, and came across one such painting composed of muted colors that had me furrow my eyebrows, because it was so odd; it looked like a deflated boob or something. I turned my head trying to see if that helped the way the painting looked, but it didn't. I leaned in a little to see the signature on the painting _\- J.K. Laebrin_. Well that was a weird name, assuming it was the artists real one. I backed away from the painting a little, looking it up and down once more before getting ready to move along.

"Interesting, isn't it?" I suddenly heard.

I jumped a little at the low and deep voice and turned to whoever was standing next to me. I audibly gasped when I saw it was none other than the same man who came into the coffee shop last week.

"The painting, I mean," he then added with a smirk on his face.

Oh my god. What the...How random was this? Why is he here? And why did I look like shit today!? Oh holy hell.

I had almost forgotten about him, since my mind had been completely disheveled for the past six days. He gave me a lopsided grin, as if he enjoyed catching me off guard and I was surprised he even recognized me. He _had_ recognized me, right? I felt myself redden at his abrupt presence and immediately smoothed my hair and scarf out to look somewhat presentable. _That wasn't noticeable at all, Sarah…_

He looked even sexier today than before, if that was at all possible. Instead of a blue suit though, he was wearing a black one with a white shirt underneath and his blonde hair looked even more stylish than it had last week. Then there was me, wearing jeans, a black V-neck sweater, and black boots.

What was he even doing here? Was he a student? Somehow I highly doubted that.

 _Okay, just be cool Sarah._

"Um…" was all I could eventually manage out.

I looked back to the painting, trying to think of something smart to say, but instead I said, "Yeah, it's…definitely interesting. With the...abstract-ness...and...muted, colors...um, actually I don't know much about art to be honest, so my opinion is probably futile."

My eyes peered back to Mr. Sexy and I saw that he was still grinning at me. I also knew my mouth was partly agape, but I mean, he had taken me by total surprise. I blushed even more when I remembered I had just masturbated to thoughts of this man a week ago. _How embarrassing!_

"Nonsense. You don't necessarily need to be educated in the field of art to have an opinion on it," he replied, putting his hands in his pockets. "Art is in the eye of the beholder, and is very subjective. I'm always curious to hear one's thoughts on a piece."

I could tell he was subtly trying to press me into giving my candid opinion, so I tightened my lips followed by pursing them, and told him, "Honestly…it kind of looks like a deflated boob to me," I said ending my sentence in a sigh.

Looking back to the painting to reflect on it again, all I heard was him laugh out loud, making me smile nervously.

"You know, I never thought of it that way," he told me. "It _does_ kind of look like a deflated boob now I think about it."

"Oh, phew. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so," I said in relief.

He continued chuckling. "See? Completely subjective. Although now I wonder if others think the same thing of it," he questioned, tilting his head at the painting the same way I had done earlier.

I looked at him, and I couldn't believe he was actually engaging in another conversation with me. What's more, I still couldn't believe he was here, standing next to me, of all places. But I wasn't one to question a good thing or let it slide by so easily, so I started talking again. "Well, I hope the artist wouldn't mind. Maybe she intended it to look that way? I wonder if she's even alive," I wondered out loud.

"Heh, I can assure you, _he's_ most definitely alive," the man said.

I turned my whole body to face him and he did the same towards me. "They're a man? How do you know?" I asked.

He looked to the painting briefly then back to me, grinning and offering his hand to shake where he then said, "It's nice to formally meet you. _I'm_ J.K. Laebrin. The artist of this painting. How do you do?"

As my hand was in his, I narrowed my eyes and laughed in a scoff-able way. "No you're not," I said shaking my head, ignoring his question about my wellbeing. There was just no way he was the artist.

"You don't believe me?" he asked incredulously, still smirking.

I grinned back for a moment until I saw that he actually looked somewhat serious. I dropped my hand from his and felt my own face grow into a serious look. "Wait…seriously? You're really the artist of this painting?"

"Last time I checked. It's only being show cased for a few months as some sort of…appreciative thing from NYU," he told me, waving his hand passively as if it wasn't a big deal. "I was hesitant to allow it, but alas, here it is."

I put my hands to both of my cheeks, feeling how warm I was. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," I began. My hands dropped to the front of my face. "I just insulted your painting! And I called you a woman!"

"It's quite alright. The name gets mistaken for that all the time," he chuckled back. "And…you're right about the painting, as I said. Art is something I do as a hobby and I'm not terribly good at it. So don't feel bad," he finished saying, showing me that amazing smile once again.

I wasn't sure what to say. This whole situation was bemusing to me enough as it is, and now I had called his painting a collapsed boob and accidentally referred to him as a female. Nice going, Sarah.

"So...from what I can gather so far, is that you work at a coffee shop. You go to school here. And you seemingly like art, despite claiming to not know much about it," he suddenly said.

I bit my lip nervously, not really wanting to tell him I was a student here. I didn't want him to think I was some lame, nerdy, eighteen year old. But I couldn't exactly lie either. Sighing, I said, "Yeah. I'm a student here, graduating in May. And I just got done with finals, so I figured I'd come by here to mellow out the brain. I like it enough, but I'm not hugely passionate about art unfortunately. Clearly, since I offend it."

He chuckled again. "I see," he said. "What are you majoring in, if I might ask?"

 _You can ask me anything, I'll be your slave!_ "I'm actually double majoring in two subjects; English Literature and Journalism," I told him, ignoring my inward thoughts.

He raised his eyebrows as though he was surprised. "You really weren't lying when you said you had a full load," he then quipped.

"Did I mention I also tutor and have another part time job?" I added. _And live with a psychotic step-mother and her daughters and act as a personal hand maiden to them?_

"Well, I can definitely see why you'd feel like exploding. Congratulations on graduating soon though. It's always a huge achievement. Your parents must be proud."

I smiled softly when he said this, trying to not give myself away. I appreciated his words, but they stung a little, though I couldn't blame him. It isn't like he knew. I often thought about whether or not my parents would be proud of me, and I hoped they were wherever they are.

"Why those subjects?" he then asked me, when I didn't respond right away. "You say you aren't particularly passionate about art, but. Literature is a form of it, after all."

I thought about his question for a second before answering. "True. But I guess I meant paintings, sculpting, and drawing; that kind of art. Analyzing language in ways that differ from ordinary usage and reading historic works have just always interested me. I love writing, and I love reading. Might as well pursue a career in what makes you happy, right?"

"I couldn't agree more," he answered. "I would advise that to anyone. It's refreshing to hear it from a student."

I blushed at his words, and looked away shyly, not sure how to respond.

"Have you enjoyed your studies at NYU?" he then asked me.

"Yeah, yeah I have. It's been good to me, but I can't wait to be done. For several reasons."

"Can't say I blame you. Life only gets better after school, that I promise you," he pledged.

 _I can only imagine._

"Yeah, I'll bet," I replied. "Did you go here, or…?"

"No, I did not," he told me. "My Alma Mater is Princeton, actually."

Of course he had gone to Princeton; so fit for a man like him.

"But I'm a staunch supporter of NYU," he continued. "Specifically towards business students or those who study the arts, hence why they put up this painting. I was here today to thank the school and museum."

Well that made sense for running into him here.

"Gotcha. You don't seem impressed with the notion," I then remarked.

Sighing while looking at his painting, he said, "I appreciate the thought, I suppose. But it just seems silly. I don't do what I do in hopes that I'll receive recognition but, I suppose it was a way for the school to say 'thank you' without making it over the top. Except they're hell bent on hosting some type of event next month and making it a spectacle regardless."

I nodded my head, pretending I totally knew all about his supportive efforts; I had no idea in what way he aided NYU, but he made it seem like it was through the means of donations, which meant he had to be super rich and probably pretty important. I gulped at the intimidating thought. _Who was this guy?_

"Well, that's very gracious of you to support students in whatever capacity that you do. We appreciate those kinds of things," I said to him.

"I know you do," he replied, giving me a genuine, closed mouth smile. "And I enjoy watching students become successful."

 _He was practically perfect._ "How noble," I said half teasingly. "You're from England originally?"

"Yes, Brixton to be exact," he responded. "I moved to the states to study abroad and fell in love with it, specifically this city after visiting. I've been here practically ever since my early twenties."

"Just trying to take over the world?" I asked in jest.

He only smiled at me. "Something like that."

"If you don't mind me asking…what _do_ you do?" I inquired. I mean the man practically looked like he owned half of New York City, I had to know what he did.

He took a deep breath, like he wasn't interested in getting into that with me. Should I have not asked him that? Shit.

"Well, I dabble in all sorts of things," he started to explain. "Business, art, sailing, mentoring…the occasional magic."

"Magic?" I asked, lowering my head, gazing up at him with amused eyes. "What do you mean magic?"

"I'm quite skilled with cards," he told me, winking his eye. "Oh, and juggling."

 _Juggling?_ I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. This guy was such a hard read. I suppose there was only one way to find out.

"Alright, then. Show me," I challenged him, crossing my arms and gave him a playful look.

"Right now?"

"Yep."

"Alright. I'll show you. On one condition."

I could feel my eyebrows furrow on their own volition. "What's that?" I asked.

"You have to join me for a cup of coffee. Or, tea in your case, since you dislike the former. Though I'm still not sure why; the coffee from your shop was quite delicious."

I couldn't believe this. Was he serious? He was asking me out on a coffee date? How was this happening? _Why_ was this happening? Say something, Sarah!

"Um, like, right now?" I questioned.

"Yes, if you're free. I'm still interested in hearing all about your _full load_ , and we did run into each other randomly. Unless you have somewhere to be, I understand."

I looked at the time on my phone. I still had about two hours before I needed to be at work…what harm could it do? Plus I really wanted to go, despite my reservations about how too good to be true this seemed. But, how could I turn this God down? I decided I couldn't.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, yes I'm free," I finally said.

"Perfect. Shall we?" he asked, moving aside to let go ahead.

Just as I was about to lead the way, my phone started ringing, going off loudly despite the signs that say "keep quiet." I looked at the caller ID- Irene. _Fuck._

"Um, can you hold that thought?" I told him.

"Of course. Take your time."

I walked away a few feet away, and answered the phone.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Sarah, I need you at a location to clean in twenty minutes," Irene commanded.

"Uh, I have work soon at the coffee shop…"

"I called the coffee place already and told them you were needed at your other job and would be late."

Before I could process what she had just said, I heard another call coming through on my phone, seeing that it was Anthony. He was probably trying to warn me, but Irene got to me first.

"Hello?!" she yelled.

"Yeah, sorry. Um. Look, can't you get someone else to fill in for me? Please?" I looked over at J.K., who was looking around at his surroundings. Ugh, _please say yes, Irene, please say yes._

"Everyone else is on other sites, and Vicki got sick at the last minute. You'll need to help Doreen. End of discussion."

J.K. finally looked to me, and gave me a hopeful smile, patiently waiting for me to get off the phone. I closed my eyes in disappointment.

"But, Irene - "

"Do we need to have this discussion again about the job?"

"Fine," I said, relenting. "What's the address?"

Irene gave me the location of the place and I made a mental note of it. Of course it was the swanky area of 5th Avenue. "Okay, I'm just finishing up something, I'll be there in-"

"NOW!" she said, and hung up the phone.

That bitch. I sighed, and J.K. came over to me.

"Is everything alright?" he wanted to know.

There was no way I was telling him that I was off to clean apartments. I know I mentioned I had a part time job to him, but I was worried that someone of his stature would be uninterested if he knew what my second job was. It wasn't worth the risk, so I decided to tell him a half truth.

"Yeah, I just got a call from work. I guess they need me at the coffee shop sooner than later."

"Ah, I see," he said, and I could tell he looked a little disappointed, which amplified my confidence that he was seemingly interested in me. Then he continued. "Well, I'd be happy to escort you there if you'd li-"

"No!" I yelled, causing a few people to give me dirty looks. "I mean, no that's okay. I wouldn't want to impose on your day or waste your time on something that."

He tilted his head and gave me an apprehensive smile. "No imposition at all, I have a car, and it's quite cold out."

Damn, he was making this hard for me to say no to. Why must he be so perfect? "I really appreciate that, I do. But I-"

Before I could even finish, Irene was calling me again. "Damnit," I muttered. "Look, I'm sorry, but I have to go. Thank you for the coffee offer."

I turned away from him reluctantly and began to jog out of there.

"Wait!" he yelled after me.

I stopped and looked to the ceiling. He was going to get me killed, but I turned around anyway.

"I never got your name," he continued to say from across the way.

Right when I was going to shout it out to him, a heap of students walked in front of me, effectively blocking and cutting me off from saying anything out loud. Fuck! I tried peering over the students, but I couldn't waste any more time.

I turned back around and began to haul ass to the location that Irene told me to be at. Adrenaline was pumping through me, and I felt giddy and lightheaded. I can't believe I saw him again! And he wanted to ask me out! Naturally I was incredibly disappointed the 'date' didn't come to fruition, but I told myself that if he really wanted to see me again, then he knew where to find me. I had to assume it wouldn't be tonight, but wouldn't that just be my luck.

When I reached outside, I hailed a taxi cab and closed my eyes once I sat down, feeling like I was on cloud nine. I told the cab driver where I needed to go, then reflected on what had just happened again. I squealed internally. I wonder what J.K. stood for? It seemed like such a weird name to go by for someone like him. I bet it stood for some sexy and powerful name.

I only hoped I would run into him again soon, the thought making me anxious. Maybe things were finally starting look up.

Oh Christmas time in New York, how I love you.

* * *

 **AN: A few things- the whole "will" process in New York confuses the shit out of me, despite my research and lawyer dad explaining it to me. Probate and all that good stuff is confusing! So for the sake of this story, let's just Sarah was too young to do anything about it when she found out "nothing" was left behind for her and hasn't tried pursuing it to this day because Irene is a sneaky bitch and it isn't worth it to Sarah. At this point in her life, she just wants a fresh start. If the thought absolutely annoys you, let me know haha.**

 **In case you forgot- Sarah never paid attention to the articles about Jareth Kingsman so she has no idea what he looks like. She _has_ heard of Jareth Kingsman, like she told Doctor Rosa but she isn't putting two and two together yet. I wonder why he chooses to go by J.K.?**

 **Also, I'd like to point out this this story will be 'mainly' inspired by Cinderella. It'll pretty much go by the usual story (awful step mother and sisters, sexy man who main girl wants but can't totally have, yet gets anyway, orphaned, yadda yah yah) but it will differ in some aspects. You'll see. Stay tuned.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

I arrived at the apartment building in the middle of Manhattan fifteen minutes later and saw Doreen waiting for me outside. She had all the cleaning supplies by her side and stood with her arms folded, as though I was some huge inconvenience in her life. When I jumped out of the cab, I rolled my eyes internally at the sight of her. Doreen was a middle aged woman who had worked for Irene since the beginning of the business, and was a complete bitch. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together.

Doreen was a plump woman, about 5'4", and had shoulder length curly blonde hair that was currently in a messy bun and looked like it hadn't been washed in a few weeks. I'm fairly certain she had never waxed or plucked her eyebrows before either, and she always had lipstick on her snaggle tooth. She certainly wasn't a Betty of any sorts. I sighed and accepted my fate for the next however many hours it would take to clean this place with her.

"Hey, Doreen," I mumbled when I walked up to her.

She still stood in her same position, narrowing her small beady brown eyes at me. "About time you got here. I've been waiting in the cold forever!"

This time, I really did roll my eyes as I grabbed some of the cleaning supplies and walked past her into the building, muttering "sorry" as I did so. Doreen walked behind me and went to the front counter to let concierge know we were heading up to the penthouse to clean.

A fucking _penthouse?_ Damnit! I had truly hoped this would be a somewhat normal apartment and wouldn't take as many hours as I had thought, for I still wanted to make it to the coffee shop later. While I was wallowing in my frustration, Doreen left the counter and brushed by me to take the elevator. I followed reluctantly.

When we reached the top floor, she led the way to the front door of the penthouse and knocked, where we were then greeted by another older looking woman who introduced herself as Mary– the owner's housekeeper. Wasn't it her job to clean? She stepped aside to let us in while blabbering about something, but I wasn't paying attention for I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I entered the suite.

I was immediately transported from the intensity of the city to a grand yet welcoming limestone and marble-clad entrance. When I looked up, I witnessed a gorgeous 25 foot backlit onyx ceiling. The view of the city that was straight ahead of me was indescribable– there was simply no way of characterizing it. Everywhere I looked, on every surface, there were elements reminding me of the craftsmanship that went into creating this extraordinary space. In the living and dining rooms, cream walls were inlaid with thousands of pieces of mother of pearl.

I had seen many swanky apartments and condos throughout New York City, but I couldn't believe how beautiful _this_ place was. What's more, I couldn't believe people could actually afford to live like this! The living room area was an airy, primarily cream colored room that offered gorgeous western views of the Manhattan landscape. There was a variety of seating options– a chocolate three seat sofa, two champagne-colored silk loveseats and two club chairs with hand carved legs– along with an intricate dining room table that offered an undoubtedly romantic dining experience, as it was placed directly in front of the glass window overlooking the city. Also present was a beautiful working fireplace.

I couldn't wait to see what else the rest of the home looked like. I especially wanted to know who lived here. I wondered if it was David Bowie and Iman's place, but somehow I doubted it. A girl could wish, right?

"You won't be needing to clean the library, the other two guest rooms, nor the study," I heard Mary explaining to Doreen as she took her for a brief tour around the areas that needed cleaning. I shook myself out of my captivated thoughts and trailed behind the two women. Mary showed us around for a few minutes, pointing out the doors that led to the library and study which were a no-no.

"The owner would only like the living rooms, the master bedroom, the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry and fitness room cleaned," Mary went on as she led us back near the front door. "The laundry and fitness room are down the stairs, along with the other two bedrooms, but you can leave the latter be for now as I said. I will need to step out for a bit to go grocery shopping so please refrain from going into the rooms that I said are prohibited."

She stopped walking when she reached the entrance, making myself and Doreen halt in our steps, and turned to face us. "Is it just you two cleaning? Or are more people coming?" she asked.

I warily looked to Doreen who expressed that it was indeed just us two, causing Mary to sigh in annoyance.

"Very well then," she said. "The owner won't be back for quite some time anyway, but seeing as it is already past two in the afternoon, I expect you to be done by at least six pm. The last cleaners didn't do a thorough job, so I hope your businesses reputation is true to its word."

"I can assure you, we will do the job right," Doreen promised Mary.

"Who lives here?" I asked abruptly. I tightened my mouth the moment the words left my lips. Damn word vomit.

Mary gave me a sheepish grin and arched an eyebrow. "If you don't know already then it's best it stays that way. I'm assuming you already signed the non-disclosure agreement?"

Doreen and I both shook our heads, causing Mary to yet again let out an annoyed sigh while simultaneously rolling her eyes. Gosh, this city is bitch haven. Mary walked away and came back a few seconds' later, holding two papers and a pen in her hand.

"Please fill these out and read them carefully. If you can't adhere to the guidelines then you should probably leave now," Mary said forcefully, handing us the papers.

I took the contract hesitantly, and began to read it over. We had to sign an NDA? What the hell for? Were we going to find a room with assortments of butt plugs and whips and chains or something? Dead bodies? I didn't understand the importance of this agreement, and looked up to Mary who was watching us like a hawk.

"Why do we need to sign this, if we don't know who lives here?" I asked.

Mary tilted her head and looked at me as though I were the dumbest person in the world. Was I supposed to know the answer to this question?

"Because if you end up finding out then it's prudent you don't go telling the world about the owners living quarters," she explained. "He's a public figure and so his privacy is important."

I snarled my lip and looked back down the paper. Whoever lived here didn't matter to me at the end of the day, and it isn't like I talk much about cleaning people's home anyway. Except to Anthony, but he knew everything about my life. I barely read over the agreement before signing, not really caring about the imminent details.

We handed Mary back the papers and once she was gone, I turned to Doreen to get some instructions, since I knew she was dying to tell me what to do. She told me she'd take over the living rooms, the guest bathrooms, and the kitchen, while I handled the rest. That meant I got to take a sneak peek at the master bedroom, and snickered to myself like some twelve year old.

When I stepped into the bedroom, I was surprised that it wasn't as large as I thought it would be, but it was still big enough. The centerpiece of the room was a canopy bed– one that featured a Syrian inspired hand woven cream gold bed curtain. It was against a cushioned wall with two nightstands on both sides. A silk bordeaux art deco chaise lounge and two silk burnt orange round chairs were placed throughout the room and a small leather couch was positioned at the foot of the bed. And of course– there was a stunning northern view of Central Park, with lavish curtains strewn to the side.

I walked over to the bed and sat down to feel how soft it would be and it didn't disappoint. I noticed that on the wall directly across from the bed was a simple dresser that had yet another flat screen mantled above it. Looking to my right, I saw the marbled bathroom and leaned over a little to catch a better glimpse. As I did this, I ended up looking to the ceiling and saw a mirror. Oh dear god, a mirror above the bed. I immediately sat up, intimidated by the thought of what kinky stuff this guy did in bed.

As I stood up, I also noticed a beautiful painting of the ocean on one of the walls and as I stared at it, all I could think of was J.K. I felt myself blush at the thought of him and couldn't believe my luck of running into him earlier. I was disappointed that we didn't get to talk longer, but I still couldn't believe he had actually wanted to _get_ coffee with me. And even though he didn't get my name, I felt certain I would run into him again. At least, I hoped so anyway.

Sighing in optimistic contentment, I looked around the room once again and began cleaning, progrsesing my way to the bathroom and large walk in closet. Once I was done cleaning and vacuuming the bedroom after an hour and twenty minutes, I made my way downstairs to clean the fitness and laundry room, which were pretty much just like this room: already clean and neat. Not only did the owner have a nice suit and shoe collection, he had almost everything you needed for a workout in his fitness room. Sheesh.

After another hour and a half of cleaning _those_ rooms, I needed a break before I asked Doreen if she needed help with anything. I walked back upstairs and decided to take a quick peek at the library, despite being told not to. What harm could it really do? I bit my lip before entering the forbidden room, making sure Doreen wasn't anywhere nearby and walked in.

The room was as grand as everything else in the penthouse–a Grand Piano sat quietly, framed by a southern view of the city. Walls were covered in a rich caramel colored French lacquer; four 12 foot tall book cases with translucent amber onyx shelving and a vine motif housed various literary works; and a second seating area– this time a dark brown calf skin sofa, a beige loveseat and dark brown leather ebony chairs– offered an additional area of respite.

Wow. This was too beautiful. As I looked around I noticed a bunch of picture frames and I couldn't help but pry and look to see what the owner looked like.

And the minute I picked up a frame, I felt myself grow hot and I began to panic– there in the picture, shaking hands with some other man, was… J.K.?! It couldn't possibly be…I looked at the other photos to make sure it was him I was seeing and to verify that he wasn't in all of them, but sure enough, he was. And it was definitely him.

Oh god…I've been cleaning his home this whole time?! How does this happen? "Did I do something to deserve bad karma?!" I yelled to myself.

Placing the picture frames all back, I hauled ass out of the library to see if Doreen was almost done. The moment I strode out of the room though and walked a few steps towards the entrance, I heard a man's voice coming from the hallway. I stopped when I heard footsteps and saw the back of his body as he was walking in reverse towards me. I'd recognize that lean frame and hair style anywhere now… J.K.

He was here. In his home. With me cleaning it.

"I'll just be in and out, I apologize for interrupting," he was explaining to presumably Doreen. "Just need to grab a new shirt for a business dinner."

I quickly turned around and went back into the library, quietly closing the door. Fuck fuck fuck! Please don't come in here, please don't come in here…As I repeated this prayer in my head, I heard whistling a few minutes later and realized the sound was getting closer and closer to this room. The door knob suddenly turned and I immediately took cover to the side of one of the book cases. The room was not meant for hide and seek, that's for sure, and I hoped to God he wouldn't see me.

Peeking my head around the corner, I saw him walk over to an area that had a small bar and watched him pour what I assumed to be brandy out of a decanter and into a small glass. He then sipped it as he walked over to the piano, looking out the window and into the city. We were too close for comfort now, but he looked so serene and I could smell his cologne from where I stood. God he smelled good. I wondered what he was thinking about. He stood in that spot for a few minutes, and then turned around, making me duck again. Setting his glass on a chess board, he walked out of the room making my fear dissipate a little.

Phew, that was close. I closed my eyes and let out a heap of air, grateful we didn't actually run into each other. How in the hell had I ended up at HIS home of all god damn places? Especially after just seeing him!

Once I felt the coast was clear, I left the room and met Doreen in the kitchen.

"Are you almost done?" I asked her, adrenaline running through me. We'd been here for over three hours after all.

"Ten more minutes," she mumbled.

I nodded and asked if she needed help. She told me to start gathering up the supplies and just as I was about to, she began talking again.

"No wonder we had to sign NDA's," she said while she cleaning the counter tops.

I tilted my head, confused as to what she meant. Did she know J.K. too? "What do you mean?"

Her eyes peered up to me. "You didn't see him? The owner?"

I shook my head, obviously lying. I didn't want to hear Doreen bitch at me about going in rooms that I wasn't supposed to be in, and I didn't want to let her in on the fact that I even knew the owner. Kind of.

"This is Jareth Kingsman place!" she exclaimed. "Man alive, is he gorgeous in person."

I felt my eyes widen when the words left her mouth.

No. Fucking. Way. J.K. stood for… JARETH KINGSMAN?

"Are you sure?" I asked Doreen. "I mean, how do you know?" I hoped she didn't hear the panic in my voice.

"Because he's only one of the most popular men in this city, duh. Everyone knows what he looks like. Unless you live under a rock."

I felt myself blush at her underhanded comment. How did I miss this! Of COURSE it was Jareth Kingsman! I had literally missed all the signs pointing to it, but apparently I had lived under a rock.

That's when it hit me…New York City's most eligible bachelor had asked ME out. He had been speaking to ME. TWICE! I was in HIS home! I didn't know whether to be shocked, thrilled, or both. This just didn't happen to people like me.

I knew who I had to speak to. I didn't care about the NDA at all; I needed to see and tell Anthony.

* * *

Once Doreen and I were finished cleaning _Jareth Kingsman's_ penthouse, I raced to the coffee shop. It was a little after 6 pm, and not only could I talk to Anthony, but I'd trade shifts with our other coworker, Marcy, who was forced to come in for a few hours until I got there. It was freezing outside, but I was so pumped with adrenaline still that the cold air didn't faze me.

When I walked in, I saw Anthony ringing up a customer, while Marcy was making a drink. I strolled to the back, passing the customers sitting down. Marcy and I made eye contact and I gave her a remorseful look. She nodded in understanding and I was grateful she didn't mind coming in for a bit. Once I took off my coat to replace it with an apron, I stood next to Marcy by the large espresso machine.

"I'm so sorry that you had to come in last minute," I apologized to her.

She handed a coffee to Anthony who blew me a kiss. "It's okay, seriously," she replied. "I had nothing else going on anyway. But since you're here now, I am going to take a break really quick, so I'll be back."

"You don't want to just leave?" I asked.

"Nah, I might as well stay. I need a cigarette though. I'll see you in thirty."

She walked away, and as soon as Anthony was done ringing up another customer, he turned to me. "Girl, what the hell."

I rolled my eyes. "I know, I know. But I have so much to tell you, you won't believe it."

I saw the smile on Anthony's face broaden, and he came over to me, taking my hands in his. "I have something to tell you too! Let me go first. It's a surprise."

"What is it?" I asked eagerly, momentarily forgetting I needed to tell him all about Jareth.

"Hold that thought," he said, and walked away to the back.

I waited a couple of minutes, hoping a customer wouldn't come in. I watched the people outside walk by in the cold, doing their thing, and I wondered how Jareth's business dinner was going. It was taking every ounce of me to not just scream out in excitement to tell Anthony about everything. But he wanted to give me something first, so I'd have to wait. I heard an "ahem", and turned to see Anthony sauntering back to the front, holding something behind his back.

"Now I know this isn't your kind of thing…but, I had to," he told me, handing me an envelope.

I looked at it skeptically, but took the envelope anyway. I opened it and saw what looked like two tickets inside, furrowing my eyebrows. "What are these?" I asked.

"They're tickets," Anthony said. "To Jareth Kingsman's masquerade ball on New Year's Eve!"

I stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Yes! I submitted an entry for that contest NYU was having. I just had to try for your sake. I knew you wouldn't ever do it, and I didn't know if I'd actually win, but…I did! I picked them up this morning!"

"Oh my gosh, Anthony!" I yelled.

"I know you never had any nice things to say about this event, but, Sarah…you need to let loose for a night and have fun. Ring in a new year the right way."

I smiled softly and hugged him. "You're right. I do need this. Thank you so much."

He pulled away from me and looked at me with affection in his blue eyes. "I figured we could go together. Be my date?"

I was so overcome with emotion from my best friend's actions. He was really going to revel in what I had to say next.

"Of course I'll be your date. There's no one else I'd rather go with. And…speaking of Jareth Kingsman…"

"Yeah?" he inquired, getting more animated.

"That guy who came in last week…the one who you said made me 'cream my panties….'"

"Uh huh…"

"….that was Jareth Kingsman."

"No way, he was in here?!" Anthony asked.

"Yep. And…I ran into him earlier at the art gallery and he asked me out."

"WHAT?!"

Everyone in the coffee shop turned to look at us, wondering what got Anthony so worked up.

I was mildly laughing at his reaction but I didn't want anyone to overhear. "Shhh! Don't let them all hear you. But yes! I went after my last final and he was there too. I guess he recognized me and we got to talking! He wanted to take me out for coffee!" I squealed in excitement.

Anthony started jumping up and down, getting in touch with his girly behavior. "Oh my god! Sarah! Why didn't you tell me last week it was Jareth freaking Kingsman who you were drooling over!"

"I didn't know! I've never really paid attention to what the man looks like, and he didn't give me his name. I actually didn't even find out till an hour ago."

He looked at me in confusion. This would be fun to tell him. "He didn't tell you his name even at the art gallery?"

I shook my head. "No. He told me his name was J.K. Laebrin."

"That's odd," Anthony said, looking puzzled. "Is that like his pen name?"

"I guess so. He uses it to sign his paintings apparently."

Anthony looked lost in thought for a brief moment. "Oh yeah, he does paint! I remember reading about that in a GQ magazine. The man really does it all. I don't get why he wouldn't just tell you who he was though."

I shrugged. "Well, he probably could tell I clearly had no idea who _he_ was. But yeah, I don't get why either. Maybe to avoid having me freak out?"

My friend teetered his head back and forth, as though he could see that being a possibility. "True. I'm sure he's used to having women of all ages swoon over him. He probably liked the fact you were unaware of his identity."

I didn't want to assume that, but it made sense if that were the case. Though I bet he could tell he had some sort of effect on me regardless. He was just so…perfect.

"So he asked you out and then what?" Anthony then asked.

"Well, freaking Irene ruined the opportunity and I had to go clean as you're well aware of," I explained. "But guess whose home it was."

Anthony stared at me wide eyed, clamping his hand over his mouth. "No," he said after a few seconds.

"Oh yes," I replied. I looked around the coffee shop, making sure no one was eavesdropping. I leaned in really close to Anthony. "I was at Jareth's place!" I whispered, making Anthony shriek with happiness. "But you can't tell anyone!" I added. "I had to sign an NDA."

He crossed his fingers, signifying he wouldn't tell a soul and I knew he wouldn't. "I can't believe this! Did you run into him at his home! What did it look like!"

"No, thank god. I almost did, but I managed to stay out of sight. And his place is…amazing. I can't even describe it, words don't do it justice. But isn't this crazy!"

Taking my hands again, Anthony said, "Sarah. This is like…fate. You are meant to go to that ball, I am sure of it! _And_ he knows you work here, so you'll for sure see him again if he's interested! And it sounds like he is, I mean he asked you out! Mr. Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist is interested in _my_ girl!"

I suddenly frowned when he mentioned playboy, the thought bringing me back down to earth. He was right– Jareth Kingsman _was_ a bachelor. A rich one at that, who probably fucked anything with a platinum vagina under his mirror ceiling.

"Maybe he just wants to get some…" I suddenly said, looking away from Anthony. "I mean, why would he want to go out with _me_ when he has all of New York City's elite women to choose from?"

Anthony put my chin in his hand and turned my head back to him. "Because you're beautiful and the best person in the world. You're selfless, smart, genuine, down to earth, and nurturing. I'm sure he could sense that. Jareth Kingsman is no fool, babe. Don't ever question yourself."

But how could I not? My self-esteem wasn't exactly at an all-time high, courtesy of Irene and her daughters. Even though boys had asked me out in the past, I always said no, so it wasn't like I was an experienced dater. Of course I had desires and sexual thoughts like anyone else, but I didn't think about it often enough. It only seemed normal for me to doubt myself when a man like Jareth Kingsman was involved.

"He still could only want one thing," I assured Anthony.

"No, stop selling yourself short. If he comes back here to see you, which I'm sure he will, I doubt he will be in it for the free pussy."

"But once he finds out I'm an orphan who clean homes I'm sure he'll run the other direction anyway," I said frowning again. "I don't adhere to his standards."

Anthony shook his head. "Sarah, stop! Stop being this insecure girl. You are amazing, and if he is a dick about what you do to earn money to make a future for yourself then fuck him. I don't know the guy obviously, but he didn't come from a rich family as far as I'm concerned. He's a self-made man, so I'm sure he can appreciate hard work."

I looked up to my friend, hopeful. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…when he comes back here, be yourself and be confident. Don't think less of who you are. He won't! You'll see him again, it'll all be okay, and then you'll show up to that ball and sweep him off his feet even more."

"How do you know though?" I asked, feeling worried.

"Because I'm a man, Sarah. A gay one…but a man nonetheless. And I see how guys look at you. You're oblivious to it of course. But Jareth Kingsman wouldn't have asked you to coffee if he wasn't interested in the slightest. And why wouldn't he be? Look at you."

"But it was just coffee," I countered. "I mean that isn't anything serious."

Anthony sighed in annoyance. He was probably getting tired of me psyching myself out, but I couldn't help it. "Sarah…coffee is like…the ultimate ice breaker for a first date. It's an environment that's innocent enough but you can still get to know someone a little bit before going out on a fancy date. Trust me…he wasn't wanting to take you out for coffee to interview you for a job."

"How do you know so much about him anyway?" I questioned, slightly changing the subject.

"I have a huge crush on him, as does everyone else in this city and I read articles. You've seen the man; he's gorgeous."

"And we're going to his ball!" I squealed.

"We're going to his ball!" Anthony said back. "Oh, shit a customer just came in. I'll get it."

Anthony moved to the cash register and I watched him take the order of a mother and her daughter. As I began making their drinks, I couldn't help but smile to myself about everything. I had so much to look forward to suddenly– seeing Jareth again like Anthony suggested, the ball, and graduating.

As I was day dreaming about dancing with Jareth at the ball, and the kind of dress I'd be in, my happy thoughts were interjected when I suddenly thought of Irene and what she would say when I told her I'd be going to Jareth Kingsman's NYE event.

All I could think of now was: what would Irene say to this?

Shit.

* * *

 **AN: Phew, that was a lot. So, yay, Sarah knows J.K.'s identity! If you all want an idea as to what his penthouse looks like, type in Ty Warner Penthouse on Google. I think it's pretty damn cool, if I do say so myself. Anyway, this story won't be updated till June because next week I'm leaving for New Zealand/Fiji so writing mode will be off for a couple of weeks :( But I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Looking forward to seeing what you thought about it! Thanks all so much, I appreciate it!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back! I've been back for almost a week actually, but you need a vacation from a vacation you know? If you haven't ever been, I recommend going to New Zealand and Fiji; both were such a great time. After feeling rejuvenated and getting back to a normal schedule, I finally got around to writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it :)**

* * *

A few hours later, I left the coffee shop to return home; my day had felt so long and I couldn't wait to just lay in my own bed and visit with Toby. While walking to the apartment, I kept grinning as I thought about the tickets Anthony had surprised me with to Jareth's New Year's Eve ball. Anthony had been right- I never would have submitted an entry for that contest on my own, strongly believing I didn't belong among that type of crowd and pitting myself against the elite women of New York City; women who I know constantly vied for a man like Jareth's attention. Before, I would have never been one of those girls myself, nor cared what they did had I gone to the event on my own volition, but now that I was kind of on Jareth's radar, a huge part of me _did_ care and I couldn't help but feel a bit insecure knowing I'd have to actually witness _seeing_ those women hurl themselves at him. I was even more apprehensive thinking how he'd respond when he saw my attendance. Would he even care?

My grin was replaced with a frown when I thought about this, followed by how I'd tell Irene about the ball. How would _she_ react? Would she and the girls laugh at me? Would she be cool about it, or would she somehow sabotage my chances at going? I shook my head at the thought, wanting to believe Irene wouldn't sink that low, but then again…nothing she did ever took me by surprise. I was becoming nervous at how I was going to bring this up to her, if ever. Perhaps I could simply get away without saying anything. I'd need Anthony's advice on this later.

I tried putting my self-doubt aside and I had finally reached home after walking for nearly thirty minutes. As soon as I opened the front door, the only thing I heard was screaming. Not the scared, "Help me I'm in trouble," type of screaming though…no, this was an excited scream, the kind that someone would make when something wonderful had just happened. I furrowed my brows and closed the door behind me, following the shrilling noise to the living room. I found Irene and the girls all huddled together reading something from what looked like an invitation. Sophia read what it said out loud, not noticing I was there. _Where was Toby at_ , I wondered.

"To Isabella and Sophia Caldwell," Sophia read. "Thank you for participating in our 'Twins of the City' spread for Cosmopolitan's January issue. As a thankful gesture, we cordially invite you to jingle and mingle at our Christmas Party Extravaganza on December 25th at seven o'clock evening time. Please RSVP to Danielle by Monday, December 20th to confirm your seating. Merry Christmas!"

I raised my eyebrows in an unimpressive way and watched Sophia bring the invitation close to her chest and jump up and down with Isabella as though this were the highlight of their life. I rolled my eyes when Irene congratulated and praised them on making their way up in the socialite world of New York City. Just as I was about to continue walking to my room, they all noticed me and sneered. I could never just be invisible when I actually wanted to be.

"Hey guess what," Sophia snickered, walking towards me. "We just got invited to an exclusive Christmas party for being awesome models. And by _we_ , I mean us, not you."

The invitation was suddenly being wiggled in front of my face, and my eyes twitched and narrowed in response. I wanted to smack the glittery red and white card away, but before I could, Sophia laughed in mockery and walked away from me only to go back to her sister's side. I could care less about some stupid party, but sometimes stroking one's ego got you far in life I had learned, so naturally I took that course of action to reply.

"How _awesome_. I'm so happy for you guys," I said sarcastically, feigning genuine proudness. "I mean you should be pleased with your guys' hard work. Modeling is really quite difficult from what I understand." My right hand rested on my chest, and I fluttered my eyelashes at the twins and their mother who all stared at me with concern.

"Uh…thanks, I guess," Isabella responded first, not totally sure as to whether or not I was being satirical. She was never the brightest of the bunch; it was a good thing she had her looks. "It should be a lot of fun," she added, tossing her glossy red hair over her shoulder, reading the invite over again. "Too bad you can't come."

 _Yeah, I'm sure she meant that._

"Sarah," I heard Irene say as I began my short walk to my room. "Toby is in his room doing homework. Bring him a glass of milk would you?"

I would have rolled my eyes at Irene's demand, but if it was for Toby I'd do it with no problem. I decided I was hungry anyway, so I made my way to the kitchen to make a quick sandwich and get Toby his milk before I retreated to my sanctuary for the evening. As I was grabbing a plate from the cupboard, I suddenly heard Sophia squeal and say, "I hear Jareth Kingsman is always at this party too! I hope he's there this year!"

Right as his name was mentioned, I dropped the plate I had just seized onto the kitchen floor, watching it crash and break, causing a huge scene. My heart was fluttering in my chest from not only breaking the plate and waiting for the yelling to come, but from having heard Jareth's name come from one of Satan's minion's lips. Why did that put me on edge so much? I looked up from my spaz moment and saw all three redheads staring at me wide eyed.

"Wow, nice going alley cat!" Sophia yelled at me. "You better hope we don't step on any of that!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–" I began to say, but got cut off by Irene, who rolled her pretentious eyes at me at the same time.

"Just clean it up, Sarah. _All_ of it. I can't have the girls going to this party with cut up feet, now can I? If I find one piece of that plate anywhere on the floor…"

I nodded, not wanting to know what the consequences would be if I left a single bit of the stoneware anywhere on the floor. I squatted and began to pick up the thicker pieces first. While I was busy doing this, I listened in on the women's continued conversation.

"So mom, do _you_ think Jareth will be there?" I heard Isabella ask with giddiness in her voice. "God he's beautiful. What I would give to just touch that man," she sighed.

"Pff, like you'd actually have a chance anyway," Sophia retorted. "I think he prefers older women."

Isabella scoffed. "If you're suggesting he'd choose you over me, you're crazy. We're twins you moron! That means the same age, hello!"

"Yeah, but we aren't identical and I'm older by fifteen minutes _and_ you still have baby fat in your face, making you look way younger. So don't try to embarrass yourself by coming onto him. He's all mine if he's at the party."

I chuckled at Sophia's comment, partly because she was right- Isabella did still carry some baby fat in her face, despite still being extremely pretty. I also thought it was hilarious that Sophia was confident enough in herself to think _she_ stood a chance with someone like Jareth. I stopped chuckling when I realized if she didn't have a chance, then how could I?

"Wow you're such a bitch!" I then heard Isabella yell. "At least _I_ have boobs, you're as flat as a pancake!"

"Ew, seriously? I'd rather have smaller boobs than be fat!" Sophia countered.

"GIRLS! That is enough!" Irene exclaimed, finally stepping in. " _If_ Jareth is at that party, you both need to do your best and act like a lady. Do you think someone like him will want an immature and whiny brat?"

"No," I heard both girls say in shame at the same time.

"Exactly. So knock off this petty behavior. He obviously can't have both of you, so we just need to do our best to get him to notice at least _one_ of you. And since Sophia is the older and somewhat more refined one…"

I finished picking up the stone plate, and stood up right as Irene said this, looking to Isabella who looked absolutely offended that her mom had said that and was basically trying to pimp out Sophia over her.

"Are you serious?" she asked, clearly hurt and insulted over Irene's words. "Why should Sophia get first dibs? Oh because she's older and _prettier_ than I am? Wow thanks mom. She always gets preference over me, it isn't fair!"

With that, Isabella stormed out of the kitchen and I could have sworn I saw her brown eyes tear up as she practically ran to her room. I looked down to the floor, feeling uncomfortable that I had just witnessed this fucked up scene. For once it felt good that I wasn't the brunt of the insults, but I couldn't help but feel somewhat bad for Isabella. How could Irene say that to her daughter? I always thought Isabella was actually prettier than Sophia; a bit curvier sure, but she had that sultry look down I supposed.

I peeked over to Sophia and Irene who were all smiles with one another. It was as though Irene didn't give two shits about having just insulted one of her precious gems, and was instead giving Sophia some "helpful" tips on body language and how to appear desirable without trying too hard. What the fuck? Did that advice actually ever work? I snarled my lip and threw away the remnants of the plate. I decided I was no longer hungry and got Toby his milk.

I managed to walk past the vipers without being harassed, and I knocked on Toby's door lightly before walking in.

"Hey, buddy," I said to Toby as he was focused on his homework. I looked at the digital clock on his desk and saw that it was 8:45; he'd need to go to bed soon. "How's it going?"

He turned to me and smiled. "Hey, Sarah. It's going. I'm just finishing up one math problem. Is that milk for me?"

I looked to the glass I held in my hand and grinned, handing him the beverage. "Sure is. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think I'll be able to hang out tomorrow. How about Saturday though?"

Toby took a few sips of his milk as he stared at me. I couldn't help but smile as he did this; he was too cute sometimes.

"Fine," he finally said, putting the glass on his desk. "You better make it up to me."

Chuckling, I kneeled down on the floor next to his chair and rested my elbow on his desk. "I totally will. We'll go see a movie like I promised."

He raised both of his arms in the air and said, "Yes! Blade here I come!"

"You're going to have to be quiet about that one, Tobes. We can't have Irene finding out that I'm taking you to see a rated R movie. And you have to promise me you won't get nightmares."

Toby rolled his eyes at me. "Please, Sarah. I'm eight years old. I don't get nightmares, that's for babies."

I laughed at his comment and brushed his hair with my hand. "You're so right. How could I forget that you're such a wise old soul now?"

"You're never around anymore to notice," he said quietly, making my heart break.

"That's not true, Toby," I negated, shaking my head. "I just get busy with a million other things, but I'm sorry if you feel I'm not here enough for you."

"I know you get busy or whatever," he started to say. "But mom is always doing her own boring stuff and Izzy and Sophie don't really like me."

My eyes started to water when he said this. So he had noticed his half-sister's indifference towards him. Those fucking bitches. I could kill them.

"That's not true either," I tried assuring him. "They love you, they're just…kind of, in their own little world."

"So are you," he said, looking away from me. "Everyone is."

The fact that Toby was hinting he felt alone made me feel like the worst human alive. I had tried so hard to spend as much time with him as I could, but life sometimes got in the way of that. I was even madder that his own mother wasn't spending enough time with him, even though he was light of her life when he was first born. When the hell had everything shifted?

"I'll try harder," I promised. "The semester is over and I'm on winter break now, so we'll be spending more time together."

"Pinky swear it," he said after a few quiet seconds.

I sat up a bit straighter and held my pinky up, which he took with his instantly.

"I pinky promise. And Saturday we'll have the best day ever."

He hugged me then, putting his small arms around my neck tightly. "I love you, Sarah."

I closed my eyes and grasped onto him just as tightly. "I love you too. So much."

* * *

After visiting with Toby for a few more minutes and reviewing his homework, I headed to my room. I immediately sat down at my own desk and opened up my iBook, going straight to Google where I typed in Jareth Kingsman. I took a deep breath as the results loaded, not quite ready to see what would pop up.

A bunch of links suddenly appeared, ranging from Forbes to New York Times articles. They all discussed his accomplishments and I was surprised to see that Forbes listed him as a top-earning business tycoon. He landed 8th on a list of 15 top richest men in Northern America, and is worth about $2.2 billion thanks to his work in manufacturing and investments. I already knew that he's the CEO of Kingsman's Enterprises, a company that prides itself on transforming what is possible. His company is apparently a global leader in communications technologies, how intriguing. Hmm, so basically they're innovating products and projects for a better, brighter future. How sentimental.

I went back to Google and typed in his name again and added "relationships" to the search bar. I bit my nail anxiously awaiting what would come up this time. Links of all kinds began to appear, with headlines like "Jareth: Playboy of the Year," "Kingsman at Your Royal Service: How Jareth Kingsman Stacks Up in Bed," "Is Jareth Kingsman Gay?" all showing up. I gulped and clicked on one, asking myself why I would torture myself like this.

A bunch of pictures of Jareth and different women started appearing. Beautiful women, might I add. Sophisticated, classy, and stylish women. The article I read that had all these pictures of him and different women discussed how he'd never been known to be in a serious relationship or married, though the most recent paramour of his was known to be Corrine Vanderbilt. I scrolled down and saw a picture of the two walking hand in hand together, noticing Jareth's handsome face looking irritated. Perhaps because of the paparazzi? The woman in the picture looked to be around thirty, and she was practically a goddess. Tall, tan, and had black long hair. Fuck.

I shut my laptop off, feeling indifferent about all of this now. I know Anthony had been sure that Jareth was interested me, but it just didn't make sense if he was. I was a young college student, with absolutely no experience of the real world under my belt. There's no way he'd want me over someone like _Corrine_ , who probably went to Ibiza every other week _._ Despite what Anthony said, maybe Jareth really did just want to offer me a job over coffee.

I sighed, and looked up to my ceiling. I knew I shouldn't have gotten ahead of myself about all of this. Jareth seemed less intimidating when I thought he was just J.K. I closed my eyes, thinking how much I took in today. I just needed to focus on Toby, I told myself. Tomorrow I'd work, and Saturday I'd have a day off where I could make up for the time I was away from him.

That's what really mattered, after all. Not some fantasy man.

But the thought was nice.

* * *

 **Saturday, December 18** **th** **, 2004**

"That movie was awesome!" Toby yelled as he punched the air. "I can't wait to tell my friends about it."

"You probably shouldn't brag to your friends that I took you to see that movie," I cautioned him. "It was pretty violent and I don't want them saying anything to their moms."

Toby and I had just left a matinee showing of Blade: Trinity, and now we were on our way to get some lunch followed by ice cream in the park. I had an incredibly long day yesterday, cleaning three apartments from 10 am all the way to 6 pm. I stopped by the coffee shop afterwards to grab some tea and say hi to Anthony, where I dropped subtle questions as to whether or not Jareth had stopped by at all, but he hadn't. I tried shrugging it off, but a part of me was disappointed. Didn't I just tell myself to not focus on him?

Then today, Toby had woken me up around 9 am, telling me that Irene was taking the girls to a meeting and then needed to get them a dress for the Christmas party. I was grateful none of them had bothered me that morning, nor had anything to say about me spending the day with Toby. If there was one thing about Irene I hated the least, it was that she never balked at me for spending time with Toby. Though that could be for selfish reasons.

"Aww, come on Sar! I need them to know what a cool-ass sister I have!"

"You probably shouldn't say that word either," I said laughing. "I know for a fact you never use that language around your mom."

"Well, obviously. She'd kill me, but I know you don't care," he replied nonchalantly, swinging my hand with his.

"I care," I countered, sort of lying. "I hope you don't cuss at school."

I saw Toby shrug. "Only around my friend Chris but that's it."

Shaking my head, I said, "Come on, let's go get your favorite."

"Pizza!" Toby shouted, tugging on my arm in the process. This kid was going to be the death of me.

* * *

Once we were done eating pizza, I took Toby to an open playground in Central Park and got him a Spiderman ice cream bar; the ones with bubble gum as eyeballs. I didn't know why he wanted ice cream, it was a cold day after all, but the sun was out, making it somewhat less frigid. Anthony had called me about thirty minutes beforehand, asking how my day with Toby was going.

I watched my little brother from a park bench as he played with some kids; they were role playing as super heroes and the sight made me happy. I sipped on my hot chocolate, hoping he was having a good day so far.

"Is this seat taken?" I was suddenly being asked.

I turned to the voice beside me, and looked up to see none other than Jareth freaking Kingsman looking dapper in jeans and a V-neck cardigan with a leather jacket. What the…Why did he always pop out of nowhere like this? I felt my face stiffen and I could only stare at him. We really had to stop meeting like this. I realized I had to say something after he turned his head in curiosity at me.

"Uh, yes. I mean, no it isn't taken," I replied, after a few awkward seconds. I shifted a little to the right, allowing more space for him to sit. Thank god I had managed to look presentable today, even applying a bit of eyeliner, mascara and blush.

He smiled, showing off his pearly whites, and took a seat next to me. I noticed he was drinking coffee. Coffee from _my_ workplace, and I couldn't help but grin. Jareth must have observed my reaction to his choice of coffee, because he laughed nervously as he looked to his cup.

"Yes, about this…" he said, and then looked me straight in the eye. "I actually went to your place of work to see you, but you obviously weren't there. A nice gentleman was all too eager to tell me you'd be here though, so…here I am. I hope that's okay."

I blushed, wanting to kiss and punch Anthony at the same time for telling Jareth my whereabouts. So he'd gone to the coffee shop to see me? I couldn't help but bite my lip nervously, trying not to smile from happiness.

"It's more than okay," I answered confidently. "Anthony has a tendency to share things with the whole world anyway, so I'm not surprised."

"Well, thank goodness for Anthony then," he responded, sipping his coffee all sexily. "You look beautiful by the way. I hope you've been well."

I could feel myself squirming on the inside from his compliment, and I had to look away briefly. "Thank you," I replied, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "You look rather handsome yourself."

He gave me a lopsided grin, and moved in a tad closer to me. "Thank you. So, I hope this doesn't sound odd but I asked your dear friend… _Anthony,_ your name when I asked if you were around. But he refused to give it to me, and said only you could tell me. I feel quite silly having asked about you, but not knowing who you are."

I understood the implied question, and it was kind of weird that this was our third time running into each other without him knowing my name, especially since I knew his. Not that he totally knew that, of course. "That does seem kind of weird," I agreed in jest. Then I was feeling brazen. "Before I tell you though, I have some questions to ask."

" _Some_ sounds a bit too indefinite," he said with a sly smirk. "I'll give you three."

I narrowed my eyes playfully, ready to go along with this. I really only had one question anyway, but I'd save it for last. "Why did you come looking for me?"

"Because I find you interesting," he replied, with no hesitation at all.

"Interesting?" I repeated, raising my eyebrows. "Am I science project?" I then asked teasingly.

"No, I don't mean that in a bad way," he said trying to recover. "You're just…" he sighed, as if contemplating his next words. "Not like other women I know. You're beguiling. And a breath of fresh air."

"Beguiling…" I said, nodding my head slowly and trying to see how the term felt coming out of my own mouth. I suppose I enjoyed being called charming and enchanting. But I still needed more, without phrasing my words as a question. "Curious choice of word."

"Well, it's the truth," he told me.

I tilted my head, smiling just a little, suggesting he continue on with his explanation. Jareth looked a bit self-conscious now, and that's the last thing I wanted him to feel, but he kept talking regardless.

"I suppose…there's a mysterious aura to yourself that I find intriguing and…I just…needed to see and talk to you again. You left so abruptly the other day, and I figured I could come see you at work. This all sounds rather creepy doesn't it?"

I had to laugh lightly at that. "No, it doesn't. You're far from creepy."

He gave me a genuine smile, and sighed, as though he had been holding his breath or something. He seemed nervous, and it excited me knowing someone like him could get nervous around women. A woman like me, at that.

"Good, I'd hate to be deemed as such," he joked.

I chuckled and sipped a bit of my hot chocolate, as I subtly checked Jareth out. _He had such style_. _And that hair..._ "Believe me, I know creepy," I then stated.

"Oh, do tell," he probed.

I hadn't told this story to anyone before. I took another sip of my hot chocolate and told him the narrowed down version. "There was this guy about a year ago at school who practically stalked me," I explained. "His name was Jeff, and he was kind of an odd ball. You know, the quirky loner type. At first I just thought we were in the same place at the same time, but then it became too coincidental and it started freaking me out. My friend Anthony had to step in and...chat with him."

"You didn't go to the police?" Jareth asked in a serious tone.

Shaking my head and frowning, I replied, "No. That would have been my next step had he not listened to Anthony, but he can be very...persuasive. So Jeff stopped. But yeah, _that_ was creepy."

I turned to face Jareth to see his expression, and he gave me a light smile. "Your friend Anthony sounds like a superb person," he expressed.

I couldn't disagree- Anthony was a great friend, and I never took him for granted. Of all the people in my life, he'd never let me down. "Yeah, he's pretty amazing."

"You have one question left, I hope you realize that," Jareth then said.

Furrowing my eyes brows, I remarked, "What? No way, I only asked you one."

He shook his head slowly. "Nope. You asked, 'Interesting? Am I a science project?'" He did his best to mock my voice, the attempt making me scoff and laugh at once.

"That's definitely not playing fair."

"Fair? I wonder what your basis for comparison is," he retorted, grinning devilishly.

Oooh, I could wipe that smug smirk off his beautiful face. "Fine," I stated, setting my hot chocolate on the bench and crossing my arms. "Why didn't you tell me you were Jareth Kingsman?"

Jareth let out a heap of air, looking like he got caught taking a cookie out of the cookie jar. Maybe I was too forward with asking that question so soon. He clenched his jaw, clearly taken back by my probing, and before he could answer we were interrupted by a loud young boy.

"Sarah!" Toby yelled as he ran over to me. "I asked a nice lady what time it was, and she said it was almost three o'clock, but I was wondering if we could stay for another thirty minutes or something."

Toby looked at me as he asked his own question, then noticed Jareth and stared at him with a puzzled expression.

"Who are you?" Toby then asked Jareth defensively.

I looked to Jareth, wanting to hear his answer myself. I raised my eyebrows, as though suggesting, " _Y_ _es, Jareth, please do tell us who you are_."

"Heh. My name is Jareth," he said, holding his hand out to Toby. "Might I ask who you are?"

Toby glared at Jareth and his hand, but shook it anyway, albeit hesitantly. "The name is Tobias. Toby for short."

"It's nice to meet you, Tobias. You're Sarah's brother, I'm presuming?"

"Sure am!" Toby said proudly. "How do you guys know each other?" he asked, turning to me.

"We met at my work," I told him. "And ran into each other today."

"Is he your boyyyy-frienddddd?" Toby asked out of nowhere, making me clench my jaw and turn beat red.

"No, Toby he isn't. To answer your question, you can stay for a while longer," I said, hoping that would work as a distraction.

"Yes!" he yelled, and went running back to the playground. His attention span was that of a gold fish, I swear.

"Sorry about that," I said out loud, watching Toby walk up the slide.

"That's alright, _Sa-rah,_ " Jareth purred.

I kept my head in Toby's direction, but moved my eyes so they were looking at Jareth from the corners.

"I guess that cat is out of the bag," I said, turning his way a few moments later.

"I'd say so," Jareth established. "As for your earlier question…I didn't tell you who I was in whole because I enjoyed talking to you without the bullshit that usually comes with that knowledge."

Well that made sense, as I suspected. I'm sure girls act a certain way around him, but I too had been mesmerized by just his looks. I wonder if he caught onto my attraction when he came in to the coffee shop last week.

"And you could tell when I first met you that I had no idea who you really were?" I asked.

Jareth sipped some more of his coffee that had to be cold by now, but it seemed effective in calming his nerves. "Yes. I could tell to a degree."

"How?" I wanted to know.

"I suppose just by how you acted towards me; calm and collected. When you asked me if I was in the area a lot, that's when I had a stronger sense you didn't know. Then at the art gallery when I introduced myself as J.K., you didn't correct me or ask if that stood for Jareth Kingsman."

He thought I was calm and collected the day he came in for a coffee? I was anything but those things. At least I didn't make a fool out of myself.

"I see," I responded. "What usual bullshit comes with people knowing who you are?"

He sighed again, and ran his perfect hand through his perfect blonde hair. "Oh, I don't know. The usual fakeness, someone wanting something from me, the fawning act which gets tiresome…many annoying things. That's what I meant when I said you were a breath of fresh air. It was nice talking to someone while just being able to be myself; have a normal conversation, you know?"

 _Oh,_ I thought despondently. I frowned and nodded, looking down at the ground. _He just wants a friend, someone he can genuinely talk to. How could I be so dumb?_

"It helps that that someone is a beautiful and intelligent person, might I add," I heard him say. "Someone who I actually _want_ to get to know, which never happens these days."

I looked up, a hopeful expression taking over my face. "Oh," was all I could say.

"Oh?" he repeated, grinning.

I shook my head a little, trying to collect my thoughts. "I thought…I don't know, it just seemed…never mind. I'm glad you feel that way." I bit my lip again; God I was an awkward wreck.

"May I ask _you_ a question now?" he asked me.

"Sure," I replied assertively.

"Have dinner with me."

I stared quizzically at Jareth completely dead panned.

"That was more of a statement," I proclaimed.

"Alright," he said, sitting up even straighter. "Seeing as we've finally had our coffee date, I was wondering...would do me the honor of having dinner with me?"

"Dinner?" I questioned in a flabbergasted tone. "Really?"

Jareth grinned and wrinkled his eyebrows at the same time. "Why do you always act so surprised when I ask you out somewhere?"

"Because…you're…you," I told him, my right palm extended out to him. "I'm a twenty one year old college student at NYU who takes her kid brother out to see Blade: Trinity on a Saturday," I answered.

Jareth simply laughed at my statement. "Your point?" he inquired.

I wanted to tell him that someone like him isn't supposed to be interested in someone like me, but then I thought of Anthony and how he told me to not be that annoying insecure girl. Why _couldn't_ someone like Jareth Kingsman be interested in someone like me? I really had nothing to lose and decided to just take a chance.

"I have no point. Yes, I'd love to have dinner with you," I said assuredly. I saw his blue eyes light up and excitement ran through me.

"See? That was easy wasn't it?" he said.

I rolled my eyes and snickered at this man's boastful attitude. When my eyes landed straight ahead of me, that's when I noticed several women around my age who had been looking strangely at us. More specifically, at Jareth. They must have recognized him, and were probably wondering who I was. Was this guy really that popular around here? They were practically undressing him with their eyes, but I wasn't about to fall into my own trap of being that pathetic, self-conscious girl. I scooted a bit closer to Jareth instead.

"So where are you taking me? And when?" I asked him.

He seemed a bit shocked when I moved closer, but he didn't react negatively. Instead he only leaned in closer himself.

"You only got three questions, remember?" he pointed out. "This will have to be a surprise."

* * *

 **AN: Aww, Jareth is cute. I plan on making Corrine a minor character in this story by the way so be on the lookout for that. And because I've been obsessed with her since Fast and Furious, her character will look like Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman!) If you haven't seen that go see it- it's an awesome movie and she's a total bad ass as WW. And she's totally beautiful of course. But so is Sarah, even though she doesn't see it herself. But Jennifer Connelly is beyond gorgeous so naturally Sarah is too, so why wouldn't Jareth find her appealing?**

 **Sarah is trying to gain some confidence now; she feels like she could if a sexy billionaire is interested her. I mean wouldn't that boost your confidence? Haha. I hope to show some growth in Sarah's character throughout the story as it unfolds.**

 **I also plan on updating Strangers When We Meet soon, so stay tuned for that one :) Please review, they make me happy! That means you followers who haven't reviewed ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**This took a lot longer than I wanted it to, I apologize! You all can thank Sazzle76 for the push! ;) Enjoy you guys!**

* * *

I could feel that my mouth was partly ajar due to Jareth's coy behavior, and all I could do was smile with my eyes at this…enigmatic man who had just asked me to dinner. And even though I had always hated surprises, I had a feeling I would begin to love them now.

"Can you at least tell me what _day_ you'd like to take me out?" I then asked in my best playful voice.

"I suppose that depends," Jareth said smiling.

"On what?"

"Your schedule of course," he stated. "Hopefully now that school is over for the time being you don't have as _full of a load._ "

My face turned red at his joke and I bit my lip, trying to mentally figure out what I had to do this upcoming week. I still needed to do some last minute Christmas shopping. _Damn._ I suppose I could do that tomorrow. How was Christmas seriously in one week? That ruled out Friday and Saturday. Plus I primarily had work and needed to watch Toby more than likely, with the exception of Wednesday.

"Wednesday I'm free," I answered back, as soon as the thought came to mind. _Great, I hope I didn't sound too eager._

"Perfect," Jareth said in response, making me less worried. "Wednesday it is."

I felt myself squirming and getting giddy inside. Was I seriously agreeing to have dinner with _Jareth Kingsman_ next week? Playboy, philanthropist, billionaire? How did I end up here again? And how is he not busy? A thought that led me to my next question.

"You know, for being a business tycoon you sure are able to get away from work a lot," I quipped. I was trying to elude to the fact that he was making time for me, assuming the man really _was_ that busy. I mean, he had to be, right? Yet he was finding time to get to know me anyway.

"That's the best part of being your own boss," he boasted as he smirked. "You answer to no one but yourself and can do pretty much whatever you want. Well, almost, anyway."

For some reason hearing him that say that sent a flood of heat and desire straight to my core. Knowing he was this all powerful and important person turned me on immensely, though I never thought something like that would. He was just so… _sexy_.

I peered at him in that moment, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight now that dusk was beginning to fall over the park. The sunset painted the sky to the west in shades of vibrant pink and orange, the cold air getting cooler by the second. But he didn't bother looking at the gorgeous setting, his gaze instead latched onto mine.

"Um, yeah. Yeah I bet," I eventually replied, as I looked away. "Must be nice."

Jareth chuckled lightly, probably due in part to my obvious gawking just now. Hadn't I just told myself to be cool and collected? I looked down at my lap, my phone sitting contently in between my thighs. Clicking on the end button, I saw the time and noticed that it was getting late. I sighed in disappointment, knowing I needed to get Toby home soon.

Jareth must have either been a physic or noticed my chagrin because I then heard him ask, "Do you need to get your brother home?"

Turning to look up at him, I nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately. It's getting dark out soon. I'm surprised he isn't freezing by now."

"When they're having that much fun, it doesn't surprise me that he isn't."

I looked across the way at Toby and saw what Jareth meant; he and some other kids were playing tag and running around like crazy, having a blast. I smiled to myself. The thought of my brother being happy made me so content.

"He seems like a wonderful kid," Jareth acknowledged. "How old is he?"

"He's eight," I replied. "And yeah he's pretty amazing. Really smart too."

"I'm sure he is. He's very lucky to have you."

Looking back to Jareth now, I blushed and appreciated his words. I had always tried to be a good sister to Toby, seeing as our father had passed away and Irene hardly spent time with him these days. She was too focused on the twins' modeling career lately to spend quality time with her son, something that pissed me off to no end.

"Thank you," I said. "I hope he feels that way."

Jareth's eyes continued to focus on me as I said this. His genuine demeanor had begun to make me feel less intimidated by him, even if the way he looked at me right now had my breasts aching and the crux of my thighs throbbing. But I had to let those thoughts go; this was so not the place to think about these things.

"He does, trust me," Jareth finally responded, soft, low, his voice almost intoxicating. "Like you said earlier, you're the _cool_ sister who takes her kid brother out to see Blade: Trinity."

I laughed at his comment, feeling a little embarrassed that I had taken him to see that awful movie. Most people would consider that a huge no-no, given the fact Toby is just a child and probably shouldn't be watching violent movies.

"I also don't know many women who would not only do that, but be happy to just sit here on a park bench and watch him have fun," Jareth continued. "You could be with your friends doing things people your age do, but instead you choose to be here. With him. It's endearing."

I gulped at Jareth's observation about my age. I'd almost completely forgotten there was nearly a twenty year age gap between us, a fact that unsettled me and made me wonder why, yet again, how this man was seemingly interested in me. I told myself to not think too much about it and just focus on his compliment. "Yeah, well. He deserves it," I said, being totally honest. "He deserves the best."

Our gazes met again and locked as we sat there on that park bench, and my heart beat harder than I thought it should. The intimacy made me feel a little tense, for we had somehow inched closer together sitting there and I still struggled against the fluttering sensation in my stomach every time Jareth looked into my eyes. I exhaled, needing to break off this tension. "Anyway…"

"Shall I walk you both home?" Jareth suddenly asked.

 _Hell yes you can walk me home!_ Grinning like a little school girl, I nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that would be nice. Thank you."

Jareth smiled back and tilted in his head down. "Of course," he said in his gentleman-like tone. He stood up and offered me his hand.

A gentle smile took over my face, and I accepted it, standing up alongside with him. "Let me go get that rascal then we can head out."

I left Jareth to walk over to Toby, the cold December air hitting my face and reminding me that it was freezing outside. I had been so flushed speaking with Jareth that I almost forgot it was winter. I wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck, and walked faster to get Toby and let him that know we had to get home. When I told him, he complained for a second but finally relented and said good bye to his newfound friends.

"Why do we have to leave?" he pouted as we walked back towards Jareth.

"Because it's getting dark and colder out, and I don't want you getting sick silly," I told him, looking straight ahead of myself, noticing my breath in the icy air.

Toby sighed and then noticed that Jareth was still at the bench. "What's he still doing here?" he asked me in a disdainful tone.

"Jareth is going to walk us home," I replied. "Is that okay?"

I looked down at him and saw he had his lips pursed.

"I mean…I guess," he conceded after a short pause. "Since you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend and stuff."

We stopped walking for a second, caused mainly by me, and Toby looked up to me confused. "Why'd we stop?" he questioned.

"Toby," I said exasperatedly. "I told you earlier Jareth isn't my boyfriend. I…I hardly know him."

"Well, you like him enough," Toby said matter of fact and tugged on my arm so we started walking again. "I want you happy Sarah, and he makes you happy. It's super easy to tell."

As Toby led the way back to Jareth and I trailed behind him, I couldn't help but smile. The fact my eight year old brother could detect my feelings was kind of funny, though I had hoped I didn't make it too obvious. Plus, I really _didn't_ know Jareth at all, and I hated that I was getting this riled up so soon because of him. What was happening to me?

When we reached my perfect stranger again, I didn't even have a chance to say anything, for Toby couldn't help himself and began talking. "Alright, _Jareth_. My sister says you're walking us home, and I told her it would be okay." He lifted up a finger. "On one condition."

" _Toby_ ," I spat out, slightly yanking his arm. I hadn't counted on him saying anything like that and I mouthed 'Sorry' to Jareth.

He only chuckled and knelt to the ground so he was squatting in front of Toby. "A negotiator in the works already, huh? You'll make a fine businessman someday." Jareth then pretended to get serious and narrowed his eyes at Toby. "What are your terms?"

Toby straightened his posture and put his fingers to his chin, as though he really was in a business meeting or something. "I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse," he began to say in a mocked Italian accent, making me wonder just how in the hell he knew quotes from The Godfather. "I'll let you take me and my sis home if we can get something sweet. Like a snickers."

I closed my eyes and shook my head, this entire scene equally hilarious as it was embarrassing. I also wanted to tell Toby he'd already had ice cream and pizza earlier, but Jareth looked like he was entertained, so I didn't say anything. I only waited to see what his response would be.

"Hmm, you're a tough one, Tobias," Jareth said, as though it really were a tough debate. "I have a counter offer though."

"What's that mean?" Toby asked, going back to his normal voice now.

"It means I have another proposition for you. A better one."

Toby's eyes lit up and he took a step forward towards Jareth, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"How about…on our walk home, we stop by The Sweet Shop and you can pick out whatever you want," Jareth proposed, looking up to me for approval. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head in a jokingly disapproving way, though I really had no issue with it.

"Really!" Toby exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Ah, yes! Let's go!" He let go of me and grabbed Jareth's hand to start leading him out of the park. I scoffed and laughed at the same time as Jareth smiled at me while he was being pulled away by my brother. While I followed them, the only thing going through my mind was the fact that this man was seemingly perfect. I mean, how cute was he?

Talk about swooning.

* * *

The three of us walked together to the dessert store where Toby ended up getting a giant chocolate chip cookie, while Jareth and I each got warm brownies. I was worried that Jareth might not enjoy himself being around a hyper eight year old, but I could have sworn he really was having a good time. He was surprisingly good with children. I also noticed that several people, mainly women of course, gawked at Jareth the whole time we were there. They didn't say anything to him and probably assumed I was his sister or something. Jareth didn't pay attention to the scrutiny he was receiving, and if he did, he didn't allow it to get to him. I'm sure he was used to this kind of thing.

When we left the store, Toby walked slightly ahead of us as he ate his cookie in contentment, leaving Jareth and I to make small talk as we had been doing since we left the park. Neither of us had asked any prominent or serious questions during our walk, something I was glad for; I wasn't ready to get into the nitty gritty details about my life yet, and he seemingly wasn't either.

As we walked, I couldn't help but think how perfect this whole scenario was: a young girl walking side by side with a handsome man in Manhattan during Christmas time. The only thing missing was snow falling from the sky and Jareth kissing me passionately on the mouth, but then I reminded myself that this was reality and not a romantic comedy. A girl could dream though, right?

We finally reached the apartment an hour later after leaving the park, and normally I'd be absolutely terrified having a guy, especially _this_ particular guy, standing outside the building with me being that the loony tunes lived here. But luckily they were out tonight, allowing my worries to be alleviated.

"Well, I suppose this is where I leave you both," Jareth stated when we stopped in front of the building.

Maybe it was just me, but I could have sworn I detected a hint of disappointment in his voice, leaving me enthralled.

"Thanks for the cookie, Jareth," Toby said. "It was a pleasure doing business with you," he added holding out his hand for a shake.

"The pleasure has been all mine," Jareth replied in earnest as he shook Toby's hand. "I hope to see you again soon, young Tobias."

Toby giggled. "You talk funny. But you're cool, I guess."

"Hey, Toby, here is the key to the house," I told him, handing him the key. "I'll meet you inside in a few minutes."

"Kay! Bye, Jareth!"

Jareth simply waved while Toby ran up the steps and disappeared inside the building.

"Charming young lad," Jareth noted as he continued to look up the steps.

I nodded in agreement. "Yep, he's one of a kind. Thanks for doing that earlier for him, by the way. It was sweet."

His handsome face found mine again. "I was happy to do it."

I started shaking a little bit, though I knew it wasn't from the cold. I hunched my shoulders forward as I put my hands in the back pocket of my jeans, not quite knowing how to end this conversation. Not that I wanted to…

"Thank you for walking us home too. I'll, um. I'll see you Wednesday?" I asked in uncertainty, turning my body sideways.

"Absolutely," Jareth replied. "Shall I collect you here at 7 pm?"

I nodded my head yes. "That sounds great."

"Wonderful. I had a lovely time with you this afternoon, _Sarah."_ That's when Jareth took my hand and kissed it. The sensation of his lips on my skin sent a jolt throughout my body and I suddenly became warm. How did he have this effect on me!

Gulping, I replied an awkward few seconds later. "Yeah, me too. Thanks again, for…everything."

I slowly and reluctantly began taking my hand out of Jareth's in order to begin walking up the steps to meet Toby inside. But before I could fully release myself from Jareth's grasp, he pulled a little on my hand, making my body turn back towards him.

"Before you go…may, I, uh…may I have your phone number?" he asked me.

Jareth seemed nervous asking me this. Was he not used to do doing this? Probably not. Why would he never need to? I'm sure women constantly came onto him and made the first move. Yet here he was, asking _me,_ normal Sarah Williams, for my phone number. I so badly wanted to give it to him, but for some reason Anthony went through my mind just then and I could just picture him telling me to play hard to get – just a little bit.

I smirked, and moved my feet a little bit so that I was standing directly in front of Jareth again.

"Are you sure you can remember it?" I teased. Of course he'd remember it; he's Jareth freaking Kingsman.

An amused expression took over his face, and his half grin about turned me into mush.

"I think I can manage," he answered.

"212-," I began to say slowly. "647…6774."

"Easy enough."

"Let's hope," I said. "Good night, Jareth."

With that, I released my hand from his and walked backwards towards the steps once more.

He merely grinned at me and shook his head slightly. "Good night, Sarah. Until Wednesday."

I bit the inside of my cheeks and nodded once, then turned around to walk inside the building and up to my apartment. I felt adrenaline pumping throughout my body and I so badly wanted to jump and down and shout to the world that JARETH KINGSMAN ASKED ME ON A DATE AND I SAID YES!

The moment I stepped into the elevator though, I couldn't help but laugh a little bit. He wouldn't see me until Wednesday and the only contact he had now was through Anthony.

I snickered; for it wasn't my number I had given to Jareth.

* * *

The next morning I awoke – once again – to my name being called upon from the front area of the apartment. I mumbled to myself about how this whole act was getting really old, but I got out of bed regardless. I trudged to the living room, where I saw Irene sitting casually at the dining table, reading the newspaper and drinking her coffee as per usual. She was wearing a black lacey night gown and a black satin robe.

I didn't see my step sisters anywhere, and I wondered where they were at. Then again, it was only 7 am, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were still asleep. They'd all gotten home after midnight last night after all. Seeing that I had literally just woken up myself, my eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the brightness and I knew my voice would sound hoarse when I spoke.

"You called?" I asked Irene, rubbing my eyes with my knuckles.

"What did you do yesterday?" she asked out of nowhere, not bothering to actually look up at me. She tried asking the question in her little innocent and soft voice too.

I was suddenly wide awake and felt my stomach drop from her subtle accusatory tone, hoping and praying she didn't somehow know I had spent a few hours with Jareth. While Toby was with me. _Fuck._

"Um…I took Toby out to see a movie, we got ice cream followed by pizza, and then he played at the park," I explained truthfully.

The red queen continued to read the paper, all the while without looking at me still. "What movie did you see?"

"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," I replied with no hesitation at all. I had been prepared for this, somehow, someway. I wasn't about to tell her that Toby saw a violent rated R movie.

She finally set her paper down and looked to me. I gulped mildly. Her critical blue eyes stared into my mine as though she could see right through me. I hated that Irene was actually a stunning woman; the evil ones always were. Her red hair flowed beautifully past her toned and milky white shoulders and her long legs were crossed. She just _looked_ intimidating, which meant she was someone who nobody messed with due to her looks. And she knew it.

"And what was that about?" she inquired, snapping me out of my thoughts about her appearance.

I sighed before answering. "It's about these siblings who are orphaned when a fire burns down their house and kills their parents. They're left with their closest relative, Count Olaf, who is only interested in obtaining their fortune. He also forces them to work through grueling house chores and belittles them constantly."

I hadn't meant for that to sound so parallel to my life, yet somehow it had without me even thinking about it before. I'd made sure to read up on what the movie was about in case this situation came up, but I didn't pay attention to the fact that it closely resembled my own situation.

"How… _interesting_ ," Irene said, a fake smile plastering her Botox infused face. "Was anyone with you and Toby?" she then asked, looking back down at the newspaper.

My eyes narrowed at her question, and I was starting to sweat a little bit on my lower back. "No. Why?"

"Are you sure?"

Hesitation stemmed in my voice. "Yeah…"

"Hmm, that's funny," she remarked. "Toby said a nice older man who was your friend accompanied you two home yesterday afternoon." She lifted her head up once again, and raised both eyebrows at me, a grin still situated on her face. "Care to explain that?"

 _God damnit._ I hadn't counted on Toby saying anything to Irene about Jareth, and I hoped to God he didn't mention his name at all. I suppose that was my fault for not telling him he couldn't say anything; he didn't know any better. I had to come up with something, and fast to get myself out of this situation.

"Oh, that!" I said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, slapping my forehead with my palm. "Yeah we ran into my professor from school and he was asking me how winter break had been going so far."

Irene set her paper down at this point, and her eyes scrunched together. "And he walked you two home?" she then asked, crossing her arms. "That's a little unsettling. He knows where our home is now."

"He didn't walk us _all_ the way home," I clarified, even though it was a straight up lie. "He was running errands which just so happened to be in the same direction as Toby and I. He left us like five minutes before we got here."

The sweat was literally dripping down my lower back now, and I was trying so hard to play it cool. I couldn't let her interrogation get to me and I needed to stay composed.

"Don't you think that's a little irresponsible of you to have my son around a stranger?" she implored.

Oh _now_ , Toby was her son. I could slap her. "I…I didn't think much about it, I'm sorry. He was perfectly safe, my professor isn't a serial killer, Irene," I retorted.

"Hmph," she mumbled, and sipped her coffee. I could tell she wasn't satisfied with my answers, but she had no choice but to let it go for now. "Fine. But if I find out that Toby is around anymore _weirdos_ in the future, I'll have to revoke your privileges to take him out."

 _Privileges?!_ What the….fury took over my body just then, and I could have sworn that fire was dancing in my eyes.

"I didn't realize that hanging out with my _brother_ was a special right," I spat out. "I don't ever see _you_ taking him out these days, like a mother should. And what? When you're out with your daughters you'll hire a babysitter while I'm here too? Please. Your threat means nothing to me, Irene. I do more for him than anyone else in this household and you know it."

The words came out of my mouth faster than I could stop them. It was only when I was done speaking that I realized I had majorly crossed a line, and I looked down to the floor briefly, wishing I could just vanish. I hated that I felt like a dog with its tail in between its legs right now.

I looked back up reluctantly, and saw Irene glaring at me. She stood up and flowed over to me, standing directly in front of me, arms folded.

"What did you just say to me?" she asked rhetorically. When I didn't respond, she spoke again. "Let's get one thing straight right now, Sarah. I don't have to let you live here. The moment you turned eighteen I could have kicked you out and let you fend for yourself. But I didn't – I let you stay, let you have a job, and provided you with a nice bed to sleep on. Do you really want to bite the hand that feeds you? I think not. So don't push me. If you ever, and I mean _ever,_ talk to me like that again and insinuate I'm a bad mother…you'll find yourself on the streets. Are we clear?"

I could only scowl at this woman, not wanting to back down immediately though I knew it was a battle I would lose. I couldn't risk losing Toby and not having a home to live in, though I knew I always had Anthony as a last resort. "Crystal," I finally answered in a resentful tone.

"Good," she stated and walked back to her seat. "The girls will be awake soon, as will Toby, so please prepare breakfast. We have church in a few hours."

I rolled my eyes, and couldn't believe she actually went to church. I'm surprised the place didn't burn down the moment her foot touched the sacred floor. I begrudgingly walked to the kitchen and started pulling out pans and other necessities to make some eggs, potatoes, and bacon.

I should start my own business, I thought: Cinderella's Helping Hand.

* * *

"You what!" Anthony yelled as we strolled through midtown Manhattan together on this brisk Sunday morning.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," I snickered. "It just seemed so right."

"I can't believe you gave Jareth _my_ number. You naughty little brat."

I laughed at my best friends words. We had met up to go shopping and were only together for thirty seconds before Anthony asked me what was wrong. I told him about this morning, which led him to begging me to come stay at his place. When I adamant on _no_ , he stopped pushing it and then asked how yesterday afternoon went. I told him everything and what I had done regarding the cell number. He found it hysterical and loved how Toby got Jareth to get him a cookie. My laughing subsided though when I frowned at the thought of my little brother.

After making the Adam's Family their breakfast earlier, I went to Toby's room and talked to him about his conversation with Irene. Apparently, she had gone into his bedroom early that morning after hearing him cry due to a nightmare. He promised me it wasn't because of the movie we had seen, but I knew better and felt like shit after learning about his dream. He also told me he hadn't told Irene Jareth's name, something I had assumed already based on the fact Irene didn't say anything to _me_ about it. I explained to him that anything we do together, stays between us and he happily agreed.

He, Irene, and the girls had then gone to church several hours later, allowing me the opportunity to finish some Christmas shopping, and of course I had to bring Anthony and update him on what occurred with Jareth at the park.

"I know," I answered giggling. "But he hasn't called or anything yet?" I hoped I didn't sound too desperate.

Anthony shook his head and pursed his lips. "Nope, not yet. I'm sure he doesn't want to come across as clingy or anything before the date. Plus he's probably a busy man, Sarah."

"Yeah, totally," I agreed, though I was beginning to have doubts about this whole thing. What if he didn't show? Was he playing me? I didn't want to let Anthony in on my worries, for I wanted to seem confident about all of this. But Anthony knew me; he knew me well.

"Sar…" he started to say and ended with a sigh. We stopped walking, and Anthony had stood right in front of me. "Don't worry. He isn't going to stand you up. Okay?"

I nodded as though he were right, and we continued to walk again.

"Do you know what you're going to wear by the way?" he then asked me, slightly changing the subject. "On Wednesday, I mean."

"I haven't even thought about it," I mumbled. The fact of the matter was, I had no sexy clothes. I rarely went out, I hardly drank, and I wasn't very knowledgeable in the world of fashion. My outfits were fine to a degree; I mostly wore casual and comfy clothes over stylistic ones. But I wouldn't ever say that I was drabby looking or frumpy.

"Well, we need to get you some new outfit's girl! Come on," he said and grabbed my hand.

We eventually ended up at Saks Fifth Avenue, which occupied an entire city block directly across from Rockefeller Center. Everyone knew that Saks Fifth Avenue has always been one of the city's preeminent high-end department stores since it opened. The ten-floor luxury behemoth buzzes at the ground level, where cosmetics salespeople stand at attention and perfume spritzers beckon at every turn. The elite ladies who lunch here do so on the 8th floor at Café SFA, a full-service café and bar. I'd never eaten there myself, but I knew all about it. I had only ever been in this store three times in my life, each time with Anthony when he was buying his mom a gift for her birthday or mother's day. I could never afford anything in this store.

"Um, Anthony, seriously?" I said as we stood outside the gigantic store. "I can't afford the clothes in there."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," he replied. "Seeing as Christmas is coming up and I haven't gotten you a present yet…I thought maybe _this_ could be your gift. A shopping spree. So go crazy. Choose whatever you want in there."

My mouth opened in disbelief and my eyes widened at his generosity. I knew he was filthy rich; or at least his parents were. But they had given him a credit card a while back where he could pretty much spend as much as he wanted on it, though he never did. He never took advantage that way, something I loved about him. You'd never know he came from an incredibly wealthy family unless you knew him well enough.

"Anthony…no, there is no way I'm letting you do this," I told him. "You do so much for me as it is, and you already got me the tickets to the ball, and…"

"Those were free," he pointed out. "What's the point of having so much money if you can't use it? Come on, Sarah. Let me do this for you."

I looked from my friend to inside the store through the revolving doors at the beautiful women standing around the cosmetic counters. "Are you sure?" I asked skeptically.

"I've never been surer," he promised me. "You're a gorgeous and amazing woman who deserves to be spoiled every now and then. Think of me as your fairy godmother." He snapped both of his fingers and struck a silly pose, making me laugh. He was so gay sometimes.

I hugged him hard. "Thank you. You're the best. You know that?"

Releasing me, he kissed my forehead as he always did. "I'd do anything for you, Sar. Now come on, let's go shopping!"

I smiled and we ran inside the store together all giddily. It was huge of course, unmatched by other large department stores. As we wandered around, I took note in its spacious show rooms and marble floors which gave a feeling of luxury and comfort that is classic Manhattan. Exclusive trends were highlighted throughout the store, as top designers had their own sections to display their latest fashions in deluxe showrooms.

Simply put: it was beautiful.

We spent a few hours there as I tried on various outfits, all of which were something I'd never had the guts to buy, let alone try on. But I'd found several articles of clothing including some dresses, a new coat, jeans, and several trendy tops. I also got some new shoes, and makeup. I began to tear up at one point, my gratitude and thankfulness towards Anthony taking over. I hadn't felt this loved or lucky in years, and it was all because my best friend was trying to make my life what it always should have been: happy.

While we were on one such floor – the designer gowns floor – just looking around, I stumbled upon one such dress that I thought was absolutely striking. It was black; the lower half of it was beaded with white pearls, and there was a slit right down the middle, which would expose some suggestive leg. The upper half the dress included a strappy, black satin tank, which dipped into a low V at the chest. The sides and middle of the satin top half were cut out, which show some skin, but it helped that a long sleeved mesh fabric of sorts was sewn over the top.

It was sexy yet modest in its own sense and I couldn't help but think how perfect it would be for the masquerade ball on New Year's Eve.

"That's gorgeous," I suddenly heard Anthony say as he came up to me.

"Isn't it?" I looked at the price tag and saw that it was $2,250.00. _Holy mother F_. "And it's ridiculously expensive."

"Oh, I'll bet. It's Chanel. It would look amazing on you though," he complimented. "You should try it on."

I scoffed at the idea. "No, it would make me too depressed. Come on, let's just go."

"Sarah Williams, I am not leaving this store until you try on that dress," Anthony demanded teasingly. "Humor me. Pretty please."

Rolling my eyes as Anthony fluttered his, I sighed. "Fine. If it'll make you happy."

Anthony squealed and I took the size four dress off the rack to go to the dressing room to try it on. I kept muttering to myself that it probably wouldn't fit me anyway, and would look horrendous on someone like me. That is- until I actually had it on. I was amazed how perfect it fit me and elongated everything about my body. My long, ebony hair and green eyes looked striking against the fabrics and I couldn't believe how mature it made me look.

"Wow….that is….Sarah you look absolutely breath taking in that dress," Anthony commented when I stepped out to show him.

"You like?" I asked, twirling.

"I love it. If I could wear it I would. How much did you say it was?"

I peered back up to him when he asked his suggestive question. "Don't even think about it."

He threw his hands up in defense. "I'm just curious."

"Uh huh, right. That's my que to go take it off," I said.

"You know, that would look absolutely fantastic for the ball in a couple of weeks," he mentioned somewhat loudly as I headed back to the dressing room. I stopped and did one last take at myself in the three way mirror when Anthony said this. I'd thought the same thing earlier.

"Speaking of which…did you tell Jareth you were going?" he asked me.

My whole body turned to him and I frowned. "No. I didn't."

He looked sincerely shocked when I said this. "What? Why?"

I shrugged. "I just didn't think about it. I was perplexed that he had even found me in the park, courtesy of you. We were having a nice conversation, I didn't want to blurt out 'oh hey I'm coming to your ball!'"

"Good point. Well, I'm sure he'll bring it up to you at dinner," Anthony assumed. "Maybe even ask you to be his date?"

"Let's not jump the gun here," I muttered and went to take off the dress.

When I was back in the fitting room, I did a final glance in the mirror. I smiled at my reflection and had started day dreaming about dancing with Jareth among the crowd at the ball, all the women jealous that I was with him and they weren't. He'd kiss me in front of everybody, happy to be showing me off. Then he'd whisk me away to some private balcony and have his wicked way with me, displaying his sexual prowess.

My eyes opened when I felt myself grow hot in the dress and shook my head in the attempt to control my growing desires. _Don't be ridiculous Sarah. That won't happen._ It was then that I realized I'd have to find another dress, since obviously this one was out of the question. I sighed in disappointment and began undressing to put my normal clothes back on.

It was time to go back to reality.

* * *

AN: I so wish I had a friend like Anthony haha don't you! He's so sweet.

I just want to remind everyone that Irene looks like Nicole Kidman in this story. I personally LOVE her, and I've always thought she was a total babe. She relies on Botox for sure, but I don't think it detracts from her looks. So think red-headed Nicole Kidman as Irene. Wowza! She is a real bitch, isn't she? And yeah, if everyone is wondering _WHY_ Irene hasn't kicked Sarah out since she easily could... don't worry. That question will be answered later on. I'm curious to see if anyone can guess why.

Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC... it really is quite amazing. But Harrods in London is better ;) If you would like an idea as to what the dress Sarah tried on looks like...just type in Jennifer Connelly Harper's Bazaar into your search engine and it's the first picture in the top row. I think that dress is gorgeous and it looks SO GOOD on JC. Her hair in those photos...ugh. Beautiful.

So yay! Sarah and Jareth's date is coming up. Stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

I am so sorry for the tardiness on this one. I got several PM's asking when I was going to update. I kind of lost inspiration for it for a moment there, but knowing I needed to update for you guys got me back into it. It's a little shorter than normal, but I'm saving the good stuff for next chapter. I had fun writing several parts in this chapter so I hope you guys enjoy it. I know I enjoyed writing it!

* * *

 **Monday, December 20** **th** **, 2004**

Reality was awful. I had just gotten home from a long few hours of cleaning and had to be at the coffee shop in an hour, which gave me just enough time to shower and clean up. When I entered the apartment, I practically ran to my room where I plopped face first on my bed in exhaustion. I figured I could give myself a few minutes to just relax before showering and working my second job. Not that I wasn't excited to see Anthony and get out of the house, but work was tiring nonetheless, especially when you've been on your feet all day enough as it is.

Exhaling loudly into my pillow, I changed positions so I was now laying on my back and could hardly believe that my date with Jareth was in two days. Just a little over forty eight hours. I had been thinking about it all last night, and all this morning and afternoon and smiled at the thought. What would we do? Where would we go? Will it be awkward? I wondered if he had even tried getting in touch with me yet, though I was sure Anthony would have told me by now if Jareth had called. A frown took over my face when I began thinking that if he _hadn't_ called yet then maybe he had forgotten about Wednesday or changed his mind.

I sat up in bed and bit my lip nervously, trying not to completely psyche myself out. My eyes then shifted to my closet where all my clothes from Saks were hiding. After I'd gotten back from my magical Christmas shopping yesterday with Anthony, I made it a point to put all of my new and fabulous outfits from Saks into the other bags I carried from Macy's and FAO Schwartz. If the Three Stooges saw that I had clothes from anywhere other than what they knew I could afford, I'd never hear the end of it. They were already home from church when I returned, and luckily I had been able to creep on by without being noticed. That was a first.

Walking over to my closet slowly now, I knelt to the floor and began shuffling through the bags filled with new clothes that Anthony had so graciously paid for. I didn't deserve a friend like him, but somehow I was lucky and blessed enough. He really was an angel in disguise.

I looked around my room before actually pulling out pieces of clothing, as though I might get caught, but then remembered I was home by myself; Toby was at a Christmas camp, my step-sisters were getting polished for their soiree this week, and I assumed that Irene was at the corporate office for the cleaning business. So I decided to try on a couple of outfits I had in mind for Wednesday evening: a black, long sleeved one shoulder knit dress by Diane von Furstenberg, and a red, long sleeved cutout sheath dress by Gucci. Both were form fitting bodycon dresses and accentuated the small amount of curves I did have.

I was never really one to show off a huge amount of skin, but having half of my collar bone and shoulder exposed in the black dress and a portion of my stomach visible in the red one gave off the perfect amount of allure. Biting my lip in appreciation for the designers, I dashed to my bathroom where I again tried on both dresses. While I was equally impressed by both, I decided to go with the black one; you could never go wrong with black. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror thinking I didn't look half bad. I would even so far to say I looked…pretty. Something I rarely told myself.

I sighed and in that moment I deeply missed my mom. We never had enough time together, and I so badly wished I had a mother who I could go to for dating advice, who would take me shopping for my first bra experience, and tell me how proud of me she was everyday. Irene may have been a total hag, but I couldn't deny the love she had for her daughters and Toby, even if Sophia was clearly her favorite and she wasn't always around for my brother. Regardless, she made sure they were always taken care of. Her constant dislike for me though always had me questioning what I had to offer to anyone. I thought of what Doctor Rosa told me and what Anthony always told me: I had so much to offer and give.

What I really needed to do was believe in myself like they believed in me. I only hoped Jareth would see that in me as well.

* * *

"Hey, baby girl," Anthony greeted me when I walked in the store. I would never get sick of hearing him call me that I suddenly realized and appreciated him so damn much. I scanned around the room for a few seconds and saw that there were currently no customers around and we were the only two people in the shop for now. _Perfect._

"Hey, hot stuff," I welcomed back. "Got my tea?"

Anthony put his hand on his chest as though he were insulted. "You doubt me! Of course I have your tea. What kind of friend do you think I am?"

"Only the best," I replied, taking the tea that he handed me and shrugged out of my warm coat.

As I sipped the wonderful herb infused drink and began prepping myself for work, Anthony folded his arms and leaned back casually against the counter. I looked over to him and saw that he had an appearance on his face which made it seem like he was up to no good, making me furrow my eyebrows.

"What's wrong? Why do I feel like you're about to tell me something bad?"

He smirked and shook his head, looking down at the floor. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all. I'm only happy is all."

I felt an eyebrow raise on my forehead. "Why?"

"Oh you know...only because your boyfriend called. No big deal or anything."

My whole body stiffened and my eyes grew large on their own accord as soon as the words left his mouth. I was trying not to squeal like a pathetic schoolgirl in love, but there was no stopping it. "What! Oh my gosh, seriously? What did he say? Was he shocked when he realized it was you and not me? Did he sound upset or did he think it was funny? I hope he wasn't mad. Was he mad?"

"Whoa, calm down first of all," Anthony said with a chuckle. "One question at time."

I stood tall and tried to compose myself after my sudden outburst. "You're right. I'm sorry, I don't know what that was." I took a deep breath and attempted to be cool, but a huge smile kept taking over; I just couldn't help it. "So what'd he say?"

"He was calling," Anthony started to explain as he walked over to the espresso machine, "to confirm for Wednesday night. And yes – you can say he was surprised to hear a male's voice answer the phone instead of _yours."_

I tightened my mouth trying not to laugh; poor Jareth. Perhaps that wasn't very kind of me. But it somehow made things more exciting, and I enjoyed this little out-of-touch-with-each other game we had been playing.

"So he's still interested in going out with me?" I inquired.

"Obviously," Anthony retorted. "In fact…he told me to tell you that he couldn't wait to see you and practice making babies with you." He fluttered his eyes in a dramatic way, causing me to shove him playfully.

"Not funny."

He laughed and went onto the clean the espresso machine. "On a serious note, he did tell me to tell you that he couldn't wait to see you and he'd be at your apartment at seven sharp. I told him to just wait for you outside, because, well you know why. He sounded pretty genuine to me though. Not that I'm surprised, he'd be a complete MORON to not be interested in my girl."

I rolled my eyes. "Please. I'm not anything special." I shouldn't have said it, for it completely contradicted everything I was telling myself earlier. But self-deprecation was the worst and I'd gotten used to feeling negatively about myself. I continued drinking my tea in ignorant bliss, and took a couple of steps away from Anthony to wash out several blenders by the sink.

"Uh, excuse me?" I heard Anthony counter. "We've talked about this. Confidence, Sarah! Confidence!"

Turning around to look at my friend, Anthony had his hands on his hips and looked as though he had it up to here with me. I'd _tried_ being confident, and sure, there was clearly _something_ about me Jareth was seemingly interested in. Otherwise why would he ask me out? _Note to self: no self-deprecating._

"I know, I know," I said. "But…uh! It's just all so…unexpected. And weird. I'm Sarah Williams. A nobody. He's…well, he's practically a king."

Anthony faked yawned, pretending to be bored with my constant whining. "What's your point _Sarah Williams?_ The man is interested. Get used to it. What _I'm_ more worried about is the good bye kiss."

I could feel the blood leave my face and my toes and fingers go numb. I hadn't even _thought_ about a good night kiss or where the date would lead to. How could I have over looked this possibility! Oh, right. I know why; because I probably subconsciously assumed it was never _even_ a possibility!

"A…a kiss?" I questioned. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Anthony…"

Sighing, Anthony came over to me and held my clammy hands in his own. "He's more than likely going to kiss you, Sarah. Unless of course your nerves get the better of you and you vomit on the poor man. But he's a proper gentleman I'm sure, so he'll probably keep it PG if all goes well."

 _PG? PG! PG was still scary._ "I'm more of a G rated gal. I mean, I haven't kissed anyone since Gary O'Conner's party," I reminded him, pulling away. "And that was _two_ years ago!"

"So?"

I scoffed and made a _'are you serious?'_ expression. "So I probably suck! I've only kissed like three guys in my life and had sex with one and we both know what a disaster _that_ was!"

"I highly doubt you suck as kissing, first of all," he rebuked. "Secondly, you're not gonna fuck the man. _Yet._ But if you're so damn worried…do you wanna practice?" he said nonchalantly.

 _What?_ Was he…was he serious? I mean, it was just Anthony and he was gay, so it isn't like it would mean anything. But…still. Was that even allowed? Would it be too weird?

"Um…for real?" I asked.

He laughed at my obvious apprehension. "We don't have to. It was just a suggestion. But I trust you, you trust me. This won't be a moment where I realize I'm not gay and I'm in love with you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Anthony…your favorite actress and singer is Liza Minnelli. I'm pretty sure you're 100% gay," I told him. "So, no. I'm not worried that this will have an outcome like Some Kind of Wonderful."

"Then let's try it," he urged. "You need to be ready for this. Come on."

When I didn't respond right away, Anthony folded his arms. "Jareth's no minor leaguer who'll be swept off his feet by your amateur lips."

Great, now he was _quoting_ Watts from Some Kind of Wonderful. I looked around the store in concern. What if someone walked in?! "In here?" I asked. "Like right now?"

"Sure, why not? It's my business."

"It's your parents' business," I corrected.

"Same difference. Come on, before someone really does walk in."

He was relentless. I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to ready and calm myself. _This was so awkward._

"Okay, should I…should I just go for it?" I asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, sure," he chuckled. "Show me how you would kiss me."

"But I _wouldn't_ kiss you."

Anthony sighed. "I'm not me, remember? I'm Jareth."

I shook my head slowly at the ridiculous though. "Fine. You're Jareth."

"So. It's the end of the night, I'm dropping you off at home. We're standing outside your apartment. Show me the magic."

I frowned. "Wouldn't _he_ be the one leading things? Why do I have to go in for the kill?"

"' _Sarah, I had a such wonderful time with you this evening_!'" Anthony excitedly said in his best interpretation of Jareth, English accent and all. Clearly he was going to ignore my concerns.

Sighing because I knew he wasn't going to give this up, I decided to go along with it. "Yeah…that dinner was fantastic," I replied uncomfortably. "I had a great time too…"

Anthony moved in closer to me then, and I was trying not to laugh. Damn him.

"Your lips look _utterly_ delicious," he said still in character and I lost it. Uncontrollable laughter spilled out of me, and I hunched over at the ridiculousness of this all.

"Sarah, focus," he reprimanded back in his normal voice.

Standing up straight, I wiped a tear away from my face. "I'm sorry, I can't. This is too dumb. He would never say that."

Suddenly and without hesitation, I felt Anthony's lips upon mine. The abruptness had completely taken me off guard and I didn't know how to respond immediately. _Oh my hell. I'm kissing my gay best friend. Anthony. ANTHONY! This is_ so _weird._

All the while his lips, disconcertingly soft and warm, tried to force a response out of mine. Realizing that he wouldn't stop until I gave in, I decided to allow my brain to disconnect from my body, and I found myself kissing him back. My eyes closed and against all reason, my lips were moving with his in strange, confusing ways. His hands were on my waist, mine on his chest; and his tongue, ever so slightly, traced my top lip and I couldn't help but think that Anthony was a pro at this whole kissing thing. I returned his advances and before I knew it, I allowed my own tongue to dance with his.

We stayed like that for what felt like a couple of minutes, as I assumed Anthony was giving me this time to get used to the idea of tongues intertwining. Finally, he pulled away, but not before giving me one last peck on my lips. My eyes opened and all I saw was a huge smirk on his face.

"Did I suck that bad or something?" I asked in a panic voice.

He shook his head and chuckled. "No, you were actually pretty good. I think you'll pass with flying colors. I give you an A."

"Too bad I can't say the same for you," I teased.

He smacked my arm and we both laughed. That could have gone wrong in so many ways, but Anthony was right – we had trusted each other immensely. As Anthony continued to laugh, he walked back to the espresso machine and I couldn't help but wonder something.

"Who all have you kissed to become such a self- _expert_?" I asked.

Looking up at me with mischievous eyes he said, "Baby girl – I never kiss and tell."

* * *

 **Wednesday, December 22** **rd** **, 2004: The DATE**

I sat at my desk in my room, checking the digital clock that rested on the wooden surface every thirty seconds. It was 5:30 pm and I was waiting patiently for Irene to leave with Toby and the girls so I could begin getting dressed and ready. Toby had one more night of his Christmas Camp this evening, and the girls, well, they had to go do one last dress rehearsal as they called it before the Christmas party on Saturday evening. I cursed at thought that Jareth might be there too, according to their sources. They'd been bragging about it ever since they got the damn invite. Somehow I had managed to avoid them for the most part for the past couple of days, but I felt that was about to change as soon as I heard footsteps coming towards my room. _Here we go._

My door sprung open and I heard the Red Queen take a step into my room. Of course she didn't knock, nobody ever did. I rolled my eyes and turned my chair so that I was looking at her. Except, it wasn't Irene who came in; it was Isabella. She stood right in the doorway, hands on her hips as though she were waiting on me for something.

"Uh…can I help you with something?" I asked in a genuinely confused tone.

"I need to borrow something from you," she replied. The way she said it was almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

My face twisted into a look of utter confusion. She needed to borrow something from _me?_ Did I enter an episode of the Twilight Zone? What was going on here?

"Um, sure?" I said hesitantly. "What do you need to borrow exactly?"

"You know those black laced up cargo boots you have?"

"Yeah…."

She rolled her eyes. I could clearly tell she hated asking me for a favor, like it was too beneath her. "I need to borrow them for my outfit. I don't have any that are edgy looking like yours. So can I?"

I stared at her incredulously and folded my arms. She then added, "Please," and I exhaled.

We could both feel the awkwardness lingering in the air. This was probably the nicest she'd been to me in…well, possibly ever. She'd indirectly complimented my choice of shoes, though I knew she would never come out and fully say it. But I would take a moment of half kindness over insults any day and decided to just go with it.

"Alright, yeah," I finally answered. "Let me go find them."

As I stood up to get the shoes out of my closet, she came into my bedroom and sat down in the chair I'd just left. I hunched over to find the shoes, but in my peripheral vision I could see her looking at the knickknacks on my desk with curiosity. I had a bunch of fantasy lore items, old school work, and pictures of me and Toby with my dad. I could only wonder what she was thinking…

"Do you ever feel out of place?" she suddenly asked.

I stopped searching for the boots for a second before realizing she'd asked _me_ that question. I looked over my shoulder and saw that she had grabbed a picture frame containing one such picture of me and my dad and was staring into it. I didn't know how to respond to that question and wondered if she even knew she had asked it out loud.

I went back to looking for the shoes before answering, "Um, yeah. All the time, actually. Is it that obvious?"

"Pretty much," she said and then sighed. "I don't get it."

When I finally found the boots, I turned around and walked to her carrying them.

"Get what?" I questioned.

She put the picture frame back down and looked at me. "Get how you can live here. How could you stand living here? With us, I mean."

"I don't have many options, I guess," I told her truthfully. "Do you hate me that much or something? I get you want me gone."

She frowned and looked…ashamed? She sniffled and wiped her nose. This was probably the first time I'd ever really truly looked at Isabella in a long time. I knew she was pretty, but as she sat in front of me with her long, red hair in loose waves and barely-there makeup, I realized how stunning she actually was. And thinking about it now, I could tell that she'd been crying. What the…

"I don't hate you," she admitted. "I never have."

"Could have fooled me," I scoffed.

She opened her mouth and closed it again before speaking. I watched her gulp, and I had no idea where any of this was coming from. What was going on?

"Are…are you okay?" I asked her. Something was definitely up and I couldn't let her leave without making sure she was alright.

She stood up then, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She was clearly trying to regain her poise; God forbid she acted human ever.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "Can I take those now?" She pointed to the boots and I looked down at them before handing them to her.

She gave me a half grin and stepped around me to leave. I remained in my position at the weird exchange and before she left I heard her say, "I understand how you feel, by the way. More than you think. Thanks for the boots."

* * *

After my odd encounter with Isabella, Toby came in to say goodbye to me before he went off for his final round of Christmas camp for the evening and I heard everyone leave about fifteen minutes later. I told Irene earlier that I had a Christmas party at the coffee shop tonight, and rather than ask me about it, she rolled her eyes at the silly notion. I wouldn't expect anything less from her and was actually grateful she could give two shits about it; that meant I didn't need to explain much to her about my whereabouts for the evening.

It was now 6 pm and I had just enough time to do my hair and makeup. Luckily I had already showered, shaved, exfoliated, and put lotion on just about everywhere on my body. I _never_ got this dolled up for any male before. Nerves begun taking over my body as I curled my hair in my bathroom. Even in just my underwear and black bra I was sweating. I was fidgety and anxious and wondered if Jareth felt at all this way. _Probably not. He had gone on millions of dates before, this was a walk in the park for him._

My phone suddenly started ringing and I knew it had to be Anthony. I set my iron down and walked over to my dinky blue Nokia. Yep – it was Anthony, all right.

"Hello?" I answered.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nervous as hell," I confessed. "I don't know if I can't do this."

"Sarah- everything will be fine," he told me. "You're going to have an amazing time. Just be yourself."

I wiped my hand along my forehead ridge and sighed. "I thought you've been telling me to _not_ be myself."

"I would never say that to you; I only told you to be more confident because I know you're capable of it," he said. "You have so much more going for you than you realize and give yourself credit for, babe."

I gulped and could feel the nausea start to take over. I walked slowly back to the bathroom in case I decided to throw up before I left the apartment. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea.

"Sar?" he asked, wondering if I was still on the phone.

Taking a deep breath, I told myself that at the end of the day the worst that could happen was it just didn't work out between Jareth and I. Which would be alright. Right? The thought actually depressed me, and I hoped to God that wouldn't happen. I was determined now to make it the best night ever. "Okay," I told Anthony. For my sake I deserved some happiness.

"Okay," he repeated excitedly. "You got this. I can't wait to hear all about it later tonight. You better call me bitch."

Smiling, I felt eagerness now taking over. "You know I will. Love you."

"I love you more!"

I hung up the phone and rested my palms on the edge of my bathroom counter. My green eyes stared back at me in the reflection and I pointed to myself.

"You can do this, Sarah Williams. You're going out with Jareth freaking Kingsman because he's interested in you. Not for a lay, not for free coffee, not to present a job opportunity…he's interested in _you._ Just breathe."

Nodding my head in assurance, I finished curling my hair and applied my makeup. I decided to go with a bold red lip and minimal black winged eyeliner. I never thought my face did well with a bunch of makeup, and I had to admit, I looked smokin' once was all said and done.

I stared at the raven haired woman in my full length mirror, not noticing myself. I had never been in anything so…sexy before. The dress fit me perfect, and it looked amazing with the strappy heels Anthony had also purchased for me. I needed to do something amazing for him, I reminded myself.

Smiling, I closed my eyes for a second and let out a deep exhale. I was ready. I grabbed my clutch and then heard a car pull up outside. Could it be? I walked over to my window and saw none other than Jareth exit the black town car all sexily. He was here. Right on time. He was here for me, and I don't know why I was so surprised to actually see him. Of course he wasn't going to stand me up!

He smoothed out his white shirt when he stepped out, and I noticed he had a couple of buttons unbuttoned, providing me with a nice view of his lean chest. God he looked good, especially in that black sports coat, and I hadn't even gotten a close up view of him yet. His blonde hair had that tousled look to it and all I could imagine in that instance was how it would feel to pull on it in the middle of sex.

 _Oh, God. Sex? Why was I thinking of sex right now!_ I shook my head out of the gutter and did one final last look in the mirror of myself before heading down. I had to walk slowly, for I had limited to no experience with heels. The stupid things were hurting my feet already, Jimmy Choo be damned.

Grabbing my fancy new trench coat in the closet hallway, I next stood in front of the doorway leading outside, wondering what I was getting myself into. This was it. It was happening. I was seriously about to go out with New York City's most eligible bachelor. And Irene and her daughters had no idea. I suddenly felt empowered at the thought; that's right world- I, Sarah Williams, a twenty one year old orphan was going out with the sexiest man in the world!

I opened the front door feeling bold, and saw Jareth leaning against the town car. The moment I stepped outside into the cool air, his head popped up and he peered at me. I could have been wrong, but I swore I could have seen him gulp and he had a dumbfounded look on his face, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

 _Yep, take it in buddy. I look good and you know it._

I had no idea where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but I walked with coolness towards him and only hoped I looked as sexy as I felt walking in four inch heels. He smiled as I got closer and I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face either.

"Sarah," he said, looking me up and down when I reached him. "You look…well, you look absolutely exquisite."

My whole body got hot and I could feel myself blush at his sincerity. "Thank you. So do you."

He gave me that sexy half grin, and took my hand to his mouth where he kissed my knuckles. "Shall we be off, then?"

I nodded and he opened the car door for me. I got in as gracefully as I could, and watched him walk around the other side of the car. He slid in next to me a few seconds later and I could smell his cologne; he smelled like fresh rain and all I wanted to do was jump in his lap and kiss him.

 _Why was I suddenly so horny!_

"So," he said, situating himself in the backseat and pulling me out of my thoughts. "Do you always sound like man when you answer the phone?"

I bit my lip and laughed. "I'm sorry about that. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"It made things interesting, that's for sure," he chuckled. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished, actually," I replied. "Are you going to tell me where we're going finally?"

He shook his head slowly and narrowed his blue eyes. "Nope. That would spoil the surprise, naughty girl."

A small gasp left my mouth at the way he spoke those words. _Naughty girl? Why did that turn me on so much? Good god, what was happening to me?_

"I promise you'll enjoy it though," he assured me. "I'm so glad you could make it tonight."

"Me too," I told him. _Me too._

* * *

AN: Gosh I love Anthony, I can't say it enough! Hope you guys do too ;) I loved the kissing part between the two haha have any of you ever practiced kissing with a friend? It really is awkward. But funny.

I'd like to know your thoughts on Isabella and what was possibly up with her sudden demeanor. Hmm...

The full on date is next chapter. I promise I won't keep you guys hanging for two months this time. I expect (and hope) for another update by either next week or the week after. Bear with me. PLEASE REVIEWWWW :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Still don't own Labyrinth or any of its characters.**

 **Also, I apologize for the wait. I'd promise not to do it again but...the last time I promised I lied. I can't promise anymore!**

 **ENJOY THE DATE!**

* * *

The drive to the _surprise_ destination had been relatively easy, despite my nerves. A boy did I have nerves. But as the two of us sat in New York City's traffic, I could feel myself getting more and more comfortable as each second passed by. Jareth and I had been making a considerable amount of enjoyable small talk which helped ease my nerves and I kept reminding myself to be confident. For the sake of tonight going well, I _had_ to be.

It also helped that so far Jareth been a perfect gentleman; I noticed he kept a considerable amount of distance between us in the backseat. As much as he could anyway – it wasn't exactly a limo sized car. I didn't necessarily _want_ there to be a huge gap between us, and two days ago I would have psyched myself out and considered his actions as an indicator that he indeed was not into me _that_ way.

But then I thought of Anthony and what he'd say: " _Sarah, he's being polite! Would you prefer if he was a mouth breather who made you feel like a piece of meat? Then stop complaining_!"

I mentally slapped my hand on the wrist for being doubtful and decided that Jareth was indeed being a considerate individual who didn't want to make me uncomfortable by getting too close too soon. Like I said – a perfect gentleman. A perfect gentleman who smelled and looked like sex on a stick with that cologne of his and the nice view of his chest. _I bet he'd look even better without the suit._ _Shit. There are those sexual thoughts again…stop it, Sarah! But jeeze he looks hot..._

While I battled with my newfound libido, I almost forgot he'd just asked me how Toby was doing.

"Toby is good," I told him jovially, ignoring my sudden and arousing needs. "He's at Christmas camp right now. Tonight is the last night. He's pretty bummed about it."

"I'll be he is," Jareth responded. "What does one do at a Christmas camp, exactly?" he then asked, genuinely intrigued.

I chuckled and shrugged a bit, before turning to him and explaining. "You know – just kid stuff. It's a big group of children who meet a few times a week all throughout the month of December to do some Christmas themed activities. They've gone caroling, made gingerbread houses, did a secret Santa, and have done other little workshops involving arts and crafts. Any night that he comes home from it, he always has a new handmade object to give to me. The other day he made this ornament with a picture of me and him. It was pretty cute."

As I finished explaining what Christmas camp was to Jareth and the gift Toby had given me, I saw the sincere look upon his face that showed his interest. His gaze was so intense though, I had to look away briefly and mention something else. "I um, I hear that your company often gets involved with charities for children."

"Yes, quite often," he said, and I could just _hear_ the amusement in his voice, like he knew the kind of effect he had on me. "Education is the upmost important thing that each individual should have access to, especially kids. So if I can help and give them options in any way, shape or form, then I will. I think it is fantastic that Toby is involved in after school and winter programs to keep him occupied and continuously learning."

Hearing how passionate he sounded just then, I looked back to him and saw that he was still looking at me, but this time I didn't divert my eyes right away. Instead, I kept my eyes locked on his then felt them trail down to his mouth uncontrollably. _Those lips could probably do some amazing things…_

"Well, that's very… _ultradocious_ of you," I said after clearing my voice and looking back up to his blue irises.

Squinting his eyes in confusion and hilarity, he asked, "Ultradocious?"

"Yeah, as in ' _wow_ , you do amazing things that are extremely worthy of recognition,'" I tried explaining, then waved my hand passively. "I always thought it sounded like a legit word, anyway."

"Is it not?" he questioned while chuckling. "I thought perhaps I just wasn't aware of its existence."

I shrugged and laughed nervously. "I'm not sure to be honest. I saw it from Shallow Hal one time, and it kind of stuck with me."

He nodded, as though trying to comprehend what the hell I was talking about. "Ultradocious…" he repeated, testing the word out. "I like it. I'll have to remember that one."

"It helps if you see the movie," I mentioned. "It's a good one."

"What's it about?" he inquired.

I contemplated on how best to explain without giving away the entirety of the film. "Well, there's this guy, named Hal. He's an overall nice guy and means well, but he's only interested in these beautiful women who he really has no chance with."

"Why is that?" Jareth wanted to know.

"Because he isn't exactly Brad Pitt," I answered. "Anyway. So he basically gets hypnotized into seeing these less than beautiful women as gorgeous-looking models instead, and starts to think he's desirable to all of them. One day, he meets and eventually falls in love with one such woman, who he sees as a total knockout, but really…she's obese. Super kind and smart, but not exactly a Betty by the world's standards. Only, he doesn't know this because he's hypnotized still. Long story short, it's about loving someone for who they are, and not what they look like."

"I see. That sounds interesting," Jareth said sincerely. "Does this _Hal_ fellow end up with the woman?"

I shrugged, trying to be coy. "I guess you'll just have to watch it and find out."

"Perhaps one of these days we can watch it together, hmm?"

I bit my lip, feeling myself blush at his hopeful words. And right before I could respond saying 'hell yes!' Jareth spoke again. "Looks like we've arrived. Wait here, let me get your door."

Arrived? Arrived where? _Oh, right._ I'd almost forgotten we had dinner plans. I didn't even notice the car came to a halt. I'd been too entranced by Jareth's beautiful face and his enigmatic words that I had completely lost my bearings.

While Jareth left the car, I exhaled loudly since I had a few seconds to compose myself, and mentally prepared for more one-on-one interactions with him. My door opened then, and I smiled lightly as I took the strong hand that Jareth extended out to me, helping me out of the car. As I straightened out my dress once I was standing on the pavement, I looked up to see exactly where we were and my mouth fell open a bit.

We were in Midtown Manhattan, and stood in front of what I knew to be one of the best restaurants in the entire world – top fifteen to be exact. Le Labyrinthine was a French styled seafood restaurant and had signature dishes and desserts that were famously known and exquisitely prepared. In fact, one such dessert was so elaborate it cost _one thousand dollars_ to indulge in. Quite ridiculous if you ask me. Why would anyone _want_ to have real gold in their food?

Still – while it may have been mostly unnecessary to me, I couldn't deny I was always curious about this restaurant. Anthony had eaten here a long time ago with his family, and I'm pretty sure Irene had taken the girls one time. Me? I could never afford to eat somewhere like this, but I knew it usually took months and months for people to get a table. It didn't surprise me that Jareth was able to do without a reservation.

"I hope you like seafood," he said timidly, his hand still in mine. He must have taken notice of my hesitation about being here.

"I love seafood," I replied automatically, still looking at the extravagant façade. The truth was, I didn't exactly have much experience with seafood, other than the occasional cheap sushi Anthony and I ate a few times a month. But who disliked the idea of fancy shellfish?

"Perfect," I heard him say, and he began to lead us inside.

Only…when we got inside, there were literally no people around, save for one brunette hostess in a modest and dark bodycon dress; one waiter who wore a modish Nehru jacket that looked like it had been lifted from the wardrobe of the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato; and one chef, who wore white double-breasted jacket. The three of them were staring at Jareth and I as though they had been waiting for our arrival and were ready to serve us.

"Bonsoir, Mr. Kingsman," said the executive-looking chef in his french accent. He then turned to me and nodded. "Miss Williams. I'm very glad you could make it tonight."

I looked between him and the others, then around the place in confusion only to note the décor and style of the restaurant. Wavy blades of twisted aluminum rippled like reeds along one wall, and opposite of that were shimmering, swaying curtains woven from vines and aluminum fibers, giving off bamboo vibes. The lovely coffered wood ceiling paired well with the gray colored carpet, and dark, cigar-colored leather chairs were nestled under the tables. While the main room wasn't… _sexy_ per se, it definitely had a suggestive invitation in its eye. And it sure looked lavish.

"Where is everyone?" I asked aloud to no one in particular, noticing the oil paintings scattered around the place.

Jareth chuckled, and he stepped in front of me so I was forced to look at his handsome face. He looked nervous suddenly, I noticed.

"Yes, about that," he began softly, becoming fidgety with his hands. "I um…I had the place closed off to the public for the night..."

His continued look of skepticism didn't go unnoticed by me, and it was as though he wasn't sure of himself. Hell, I wasn't even sure what to think.

"Oh…" was all I could answered back in a small voice. _He was embarrassed to be seen with me. He had to be. I knew it._

I saw his cheeks turn a shade of red, and he cleared his throat, undoubtedly unsure on how to navigate this apprehensive situation. He looked back towards the help, who all took his cue and walked away.

"I uh. I hope that's alright," he continued. "If you'd prefer there to be other patrons around to make you feel comfortable, I completely understand. We can go elsewhere. I just…I wanted to be alone with you, with no outside interference, and thought a private dining experience might be…"

He stopped talking, and that's when I knew he was acting this way all of a sudden because I must have been giving him the impression that I thought he would attack me or something if it were just us two and that I didn't trust him. I couldn't help but laugh internally as that most definitely was not the case, and I had to let him know this.

Chuckling nervously before responding, I took a step towards him. "It isn't that I'm uncomfortable with it just being us two. I only thought…" _Damn, now I was at a loss for words._

"You thought?" he urged on, hope taking over his face.

I peered down to the gray carpet momentarily before looking at him and spoke quietly. "I thought you were insinuating you didn't want to be seen with me in public…"

He let out a deep breath, as though he had been holding it for some time and he too stepped towards me. "That is certainly not what's happening here, I promise."

"It isn't?"

"No," he affirmed. "Based on your reaction to there being no customers inside, I was beginning to worry that you thought I came here to murder you." As he finished, he let out another nervous chuckle and I had to laugh at that. That hadn't even crossed my mind.

"I'm sorry I gave you that impression," I said while laughing. "I definitely don't think you took me out tonight to kill me."

He smiled affectionately and kissed my hand politely, the notion sending butterflies to my stomach. "And I'm sorry I gave _you_ the impression I didn't want to be seen in public together," he told me. "I just didn't want the blasted paparazzi getting word of us being here. They can be…quite overwhelming and I don't want to put you in that position. Plus…I thought this would come across as romantic or what have you, but perhaps I came off as creepy instead."

I laughed again lightly, and my neck fell back so I was looking at the ceiling. "Ugh, I'm the worst at this." My head fell back into place, and I smiled nervously. "You're not creepy. I'm just not used to this."

"This?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, this," I told him, my arms and palms out as I looked around us. "Having one of the most famous restaurants in the _world_ be closed off to the public so I can be alone with one of the most famous _men_ in the world?" I crossed my arms. "I think the most romantic thing someone has ever done for me was offer me their seat on the subway."

He looked at me with fondness, and shook his head as though only he knew something that I didn't. "I would hate for you to think this is as romantic as it gets for the evening." He offered me his hand again. "Come."

I accepted without hesitation and once again, Jareth lead me through the restaurant, and I noticed we were heading towards the back of the restaurant where there were…elevators. _This place had an upstairs area? Where the hell were we going?_

I walked slightly behind him, confused, but allowed him to guide me nonetheless. When we stepped inside the elevator, he pushed the button that had an 'R' on it, and I furrowed my eyebrows wondering just where the heck he was taking me. And it didn't help being this close to him in a confined space where all I wanted to do was tear off his clothes. Who didn't fantasize about doing naughty things in an elevator?

Suddenly we stopped, along with my dirty thoughts, and the doors opened to an empty hallway. Straight ahead, I saw another door and that's when I realized we were headed out onto the roof, and back outside to the freezing ass air. _What was that loud sound outside?_

"Uh, Jareth?" I asked, following him towards the door. "Aren't we supposed to eat _inside?"_

He turned around just before opening the door, and smirked at me. "Trust me."

So I did. The door opened, leading to the rooftop, and all I saw were two helicopters, one of which had the same group of people I saw downstairs the moment we entered the restaurant. The other one was empty.

"That's ours," Jareth yelled over the loud sound of the rotors. "Have you ever ridden in a helicopter before?"

"Yeah, totally," I replied back sarcastically, voice loud. "All the time."

He laughed, and before I knew it, I was being ushered towards the damn thing and he helped inside the luxurious bird. Jareth sat next to me once I was situated and all buckled up, then he handed me a pair of headphones. I put them on after watching him do the same, and a bald pilot entered.

"Good evening, folks," he said, hitting a bunch of control buttons and making me realize what the headphones were for. "My name is Chris, and I'll be your pilot for the evening. We're gonna be on this baby for only about ten minutes, where we will land near a private pad on the pier. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your short flight."

I scrunched my eyebrows together, and turned to Jareth who was looking at me with mischievous eyes. I wanted to ask what was at the pier, but I knew he wouldn't be able to hear me over the sound of the rotors. So I just went with it.

Before I knew it though, the damn thing was hovering in the air, and instinctively I grabbed for Jareth's arm as support. I saw that he was laughing at me, and I lightly punched him in the arm for it. Apparently he didn't think this thing wasn't _not_ sturdy. Then again, he probably gets to and from meetings all the time in a helicopter, so of course he'd be used to this.

As we hovered, I gulped and he took my hand, squeezing it a bit. I saw the reassuring look in his eye, and suddenly everything seemed…safer. The next thing I knew, I felt the G force whipping through me, making me momentarily dizzy.

It took me a few minutes to acclimate to the feeling of being in a helicopter. I hadn't even been on a plane before, but that sounded a lot safer than this. Speaking of _this_ …I just couldn't believe it. What the hell was going on, though? I thought Jareth had the restaurant closed off for us to enjoy? Why were we going to the pier now? The thought of him murdering me quickly entered my mind, but I told myself to be quiet at the stupid idea. I instead tried to relax and when I felt somewhat comfortable moving around in my seat, I looked out my window to see the city of New York beneath me, lights and all.

I couldn't but think how peaceful and beautiful it looked from up here. I was squealing inside like a schoolgirl, thinking this just couldn't _be_. God, if only Irene and the girls could see me now. They'd be so jealous! I realized my hand was still in Jareth's, so I took the moment to smile at him and squeeze his hand back, letting him know how amazing this was already.

He smiled back, and pointed to the window next to me. I turned and saw the pier and helicopter pad we were to land on. I also noticed a bunch of yachts and private boats near the docking area, and realized this was the privatized pier section. Putting two and two together, I gathered that we had to be having dinner together on a private yacht or something. _Now_ that's _romantic._

"Alright guys, this is the end of our trip," the pilot said, landing the helicopter. "Thanks for flying with me tonight. Hope to see you soon, Mr. Kingsman."

"Thank you Chris," I managed to hear Jareth say and they shook hands.

We all took off our headsets and were told to wait until the rotors were completely shut off before leaving our seats. When the coast was clear, we stepped out and the air was even colder down here due to the water, but I hardly noticed since I was floating on cloud nine.

"So," I began. "When you asked if I liked seafood I didn't know you meant literally," I teased.

"I figured if you're going to enjoy it, might as well do so on the harbor," he said, winking at me. "Our boat is straight ahead."

I looked to where he mentioned and saw a luxurious white-hulled, fan-tailed, plumb-bowed yacht with the words _Lady Stardust_ written on the side. It wasn't an obnoxiously enormous looking yacht by any means, but certainly still large and impressive. It was lit up and looked glorious resting on the water awaiting our presence.

We walked hand in hand towards the beauty, and I was doing everything I could to hold back a giggle. This was beyond anything I'd ever imagined on a first date. Jareth Kingsman sure knows how to make a lady swoon.

"Is this…is this _your_ boat?" I asked. I was pretty sure I already knew the answer to that question, but I figured I'd probe anyway.

"Heh. Yes, this is my boat," he answered humbly. "She hasn't been used in some time. I thought tonight was a good reason to get her back out on the water."

 _Oh, lord. Yep – definitely knows how to make a lady swoon._ "Well, she's a beauty. I can't help but notice that you have a David Bowie song as her name," I pointed out. "That's one of my favorite songs by him."

"You're a Bowie fan, too?" He turned to me as he asked this, seemingly very surprised.

"You could say that," I replied nonchalantly. "I'm assuming you are."

He shrugged playfully. "You could say that." And then he smiled that dazzling smile.

As we approached the gate that would allow us to enter the yacht, a tall, much older-looking man dressed in captains uniform stood idly. _How many freaking people did Jareth hire for the evening?_

"Jareth!" he said when we reached him. He shook Jareth's hand. "Welcome aboard, my friend! So good to see you!"

"Always a pleasure, Mike," Jareth greeted back. Then he put his hand on my lower back, allowing me to step forward a bit. "This is Sarah. The woman I told you about."

He raised his eyebrows before saying, "Ah, Miss _Sarah!_ And you are a _beauty!_ How do you do, young lady?"

"Good, thank you," I answered with a smile, trying not to cringe at the thought that this man called me 'young lady' making me remember I was much younger than Jareth. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he said, bowing a just a tad. "Jareth has a lovely evening planned for you, so I hope you enjoy. Come in, come in."

He ushered us inside, where I was completely flabbergasted by the interior. This boat so far almost seemed larger than Irene's swanky apartment, for it was able to fit multiple couches that surrounded a wide glass coffee table, an entire bar area, and a hallway that I assumed lead to one or two rooms. Hell, there was even a fire place across from the couches! To the right of that was an open view of the water and a railing to keep people from falling over. On the opposite side lay a big table to fit at least ten people. We were walking towards the deck though, which was just a few feet away _from_ the dining table.

Out on the deck was a smaller table – a perfectly sized one for two.

Candles in little lanterns were lit all around us, and two giant heaters stood next to our table. We were then greeted once again by the hostess, the waiter, and the chef, who introduced themselves as Shelly, Richard, and Chef Gabriel. Mike explained that we'd sail out not too far from port, and told us to enjoy the view and each other. _Talk about awkward._ He also went over some safety rules as protocol and once he felt we had the 411, he let us be. The other three went off to do their duties, and Jareth took my chair out, allowing me to sit.

"Well, this is definitely not what I had in mind when you mentioned dinner," I told him, getting comfortable in my seat.

"Is it too much?" he asked worriedly.

I shook my head and chuckled. "Not at all. This is…" _How could I say this?_ "Jareth this is amazing so far. Seriously. I only have one question."

"What's that?"

Narrowing my eyes playfully and leaning in towards him across the table a bit, I asked, "Why did we initially go to the restaurant if we were coming here all along?"

Just then, Richard, the waiter, came out with some water and asked what I'd like to drink. I didn't drink alcohol that much, so I really had no idea what I liked. I'd had wine more often than not if anything, for Anthony was a wine snob and we'd had our fair share of polishing off a bottle.

"I'll just take a glass of cabernet, please."

"Make that a bottle, Richard," Jareth told him. "The Chateau Montrose Bordeaux will be perfect."

Richard nodded in understanding and went to get our libations. I watched him go back inside the boat, and when I looked back at Jareth, he had a smirk on his face.

"Well?" I inquired.

"I did that…" he started to explain, "as a means to confuse you. I simply couldn't let that silly overrated restaurant be our final destination. Unless of course, you'd like to try it some time, then I'd be happy to take you."

"Over rated?" I repeated, trying not to dwell on the fact he basically hinted at going out with me again in the future. "Isn't it one of the best in the world?"

He waved his hand and huffed. "People say that, but I'd rather go to the local hole-in-the-wall personally."

Jareth? At a hole-in-the-wall restaurant? Who would have thought?

"Bonjour, mes amis!" came the sudden and loud French voice from Chef Gabriel, who carried two large plates. He was a burly man with dark, dark hair, and a cliché French mustache. "Beautiful evening! For beautiful people, no?" He laughed at himself, and Jareth and I smiled at each other, and gave one another knowing looks at this guy's big personality. He set the plates down, and an abundance of appetizers now sat in front of us. It smelled and looked heavenly. "For the first course, I offer you….mesclun salad, caviar tartare, striped bass, and red snapper. Voila! Enjoy!"

"Jeeze, and this just the first course?" I asked rhetorically.

"Allow me," Jareth said, making my plate and then handing it to me.

I thanked him and immediately started digging in. _Fuck, this was good._

"Soooo," I went on from earlier. "Why close it off then? If we were never going to eat there."

I watched as Jareth swallowed some tartare. "Because I truly did not want anyone there in case some idiot decided to tip photographers off," he elucidated. "It's not as bad when I'm roaming the streets of the city. But at a foo-foo restaurant such as that one…you could bet some ass hat would have done just that. And again – I didn't want to put you in that position."

I had to appreciate his concern. After all, I really didn't need my face ending up on the front page of STAR Magazine and having Irene and the girls see it. That would ruin everything. "Well, I appreciate that. I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Handle fame," I clarified, taking another bite of food. "I mean, unless of course you enjoy it…"

He sighed. "Fame." Then he scoffed. "Fame definitely wasn't something I signed up for. Getting into _business,_ and helping the economy thrive, giving people jobs… _that_ was something I'd always aspired to do. When I first started out in entrepreneurship, I didn't expect to eventually build a world-renowned empire and I _never_ expected all the other bullshit to come along with it. When I was young...I hoped success would happen. I mean, I wanted to be successful. But I never _believed_ I really would be to this extent."

Richard brought out our wine just then and poured the exquisite smelling Bordeaux into our glasses. When he left, Jareth and I took small sips. _Damn that was good, too._

"Until it did," I said.

He nodded. "Until it did, precisely."

"You're not happy with your success?" I asked. "I mean...you've worked so hard, you should be proud."

He contemplated on how to answer my question and statement. "I am happy with it. Success is something I dreamt of, as I said."

"But?"

"It comes with a price."

The way he said that sounded so…depressing. It was almost as if he resented his lifestyle. And I wanted to understand why. "What price is that? Most people would kill to lead a life of luxury."

He tilted his head and nodded once. "Yes, they would. Don't get me wrong – being successful has afforded me opportunities and the ability do things that not many people get to experience, and for that I am grateful. But…" he sighed again. "This is going to sound so cheesy and cliché."

"But?"

"It gets lonely at times," he said softly. "Fake people constantly surrounding themselves around you. Women who only care about materialistic _things_ and going places. Business partners who kiss your ass just to get promoted. It all entails just a bunch of phony nobodies trying to be a somebody. And having people act that way all the time...it gets exhausting."

 _Well._ I hadn't expected him to be so translucent with me so easily. I know he mentioned fake people briefly in the park, but I didn't realize he felt _this_ strongly about it. It made me a bit sad to know that someone with so much access to perks and amenities could feel bitter about it all. I guess money really can't buy you happiness.

I shoved him playfully a bit, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey…come on, now. It can't be all that bad. I'm sure you've had fun with your _opportunities."_

He shook his head and laughed a bit. "In my younger years, definitely. I don't have my reputation as a perpetual playboy for nothing."

I had to laugh, too. The idea of him being promiscuous should have intimated me, and it still kind of did. But he was here with _me_ , and I no longer got the distinct feeling I would just be another notch on his belt. If anything I felt as though…he trusted me.

"You had to work hard to earn that status," I teased, sipping more of my wine.

"Not something to be proud of," he murmured while taking a sip of his own. "I've done many idiotic things in the past. And having a reputation as an everlasting bad boy and _player_ isn't exactly what I want to be remembered for."

In all seriousness now, that's when something came to me. And it very well could have been rude to ask. But I didn't care. I needed to call him out on this. "Well…if that's the case…then why do you _continue_ to court all these women and play into that reputation?" What I really wanted to ask him was... _why are you out with me then and what your intentions with_ me? But I couldn't be that frank.

His eyebrows raised up as though that were a good question to ask and he let out a sigh. "I don't date or court women to play into that reputation. If I go out with a woman, it's usually innocent or business related and the media puts its spin on it. Of course I've had my fair share of _paramours_ as the magazines and tabloids call them. But it isn't what you think. I don't 'date' hardly ever these days because it's near impossible to find someone genuine, especially in New York City. Perhaps that's what I get from all those years of using and hurting others, though."

Now it was my turn to sigh at his self-depreciation. "Jareth, I've read about you in magazines. Yeah, sure they touch on your playboy tendencies. But whatever you did however many years ago in your personal life…it happened. You've done _so much_ for so many people over the years."

"How would you know?"

"Because...I'm one of them."

He perked up at my words. "What do you mean?"

"The Kingsman Writing Scholarship? Does that sound familiar?" He nodded and I continued. "I won that competition. It's because of your generosity and appreciation for art that I got a scholarship at NYU."

He suddenly looked very surprised to find out I was the winner of said competition but I kept talking. "Like I said to you before. Students are thankful for that kind of thing. So…despite your _reputation_ …you really are _ultradocious._ "

"Wait…that was you who won that?" he asked, still looking shocked. "Sarah A. Williams?"

 _What the…_ "Um…yes?"

He scoffed and was suddenly more animated. "I can't believe it. You've…you have no idea how impressed I was by that paper. Your analysis on The Prince by Machiavelli was one of the best written works from a student I think I've ever read."

I raised my eyebrows, completely stunned that not only _he_ was the one who seemingly handpicked the winners, but that he remembered my paper _and_ he was apparently fascinated by it. "I didn't realize you actually read through all the papers yourself…" _That's all you can say, Sarah?_

"Well, if I'm the one awarding the scholarship, of course I'm going to have a say in who wins," he said kindheartedly. "I'm serious though – that was brilliant work. You earned that scholarship. Congratulations."

I blushed and shrugged as though it were no big deal. "Well. Thank you. That…that means a lot."

"You're welcome." He raised his glass, and I took the hint. Our glasses clinked together and that's when he said, "Thank _you."_

"For what?" I asked.

"For being genuine."

* * *

The rest of dinner went remarkable. The food and wine tasted absolutely amazing, and Jareth and I shared stories and laughs. We talked about seemingly everything and anything, and I couldn't get enough of him. He told me about his childhood and how he came from nothing; how he left home to pursue an education in America; how he founded his company; the places he'd been and seen. He was fascinating. And he knew so much about literature and history, it astounded me and weirdly turned me on. I didn't think it would be this _easy_ to hold a conversation with him, but it had been. I was becoming completely infatuated.

"Oh my god, I am so full," I groaned a few minutes after our waiter picked up our third course plates.

"But wait – there's more," he said, imitating an infomercial voice.

"MORE?" I questioned.

"Surely you like dessert," Jareth replied, pouring me another glass of wine.

"I love dessert." _If it's you with chocolate on top…_

"Good, because Chef Gabriel makes the _best_ black forest cake and coconut tart."

"I believe it," I said, sipping more wine.

We sat in silence for a moment, as I took in my surroundings and stared ahead at the black harbor and night sky. It was so peaceful out here. No distractions…no expectations. No Irene…

 _Shit._ IRENE. What time was it? I had gotten so caught up with this evening I didn't even think to check my phone or the time! I told her I'd be home from the holiday party near or a little after midnight, and I needed to know how much time I had left with Jareth. I casually bent over in the chair to get my purse so I could look at my cell phone.

My heart rate went from escalated to stabilized, as I saw I had no missed calls – though one text from Anthony – and still had a couple hours left with Jareth. If the date would go that long anyway.

"Everything alright?" he asked, apparently noticing my not so subtle behavior.

"Yeah, I was just making sure Toby hadn't tried calling me," I lied.

"Speaking of Toby…I'm interested to know _more_ Sarah Williams," Jareth said. "We've been talking all night about me and everything else but…there's one topic I feel we've missed."

I gulped slightly. "And what's that?"

"You."

"What about me?" I asked nervously. Shit. _I had been trying to avoid this all night._

"Well…from our past conversations and tonight, I know you're graduating in May with two degrees, you have a younger brother, you're a fantastic writer who appreciates literary works, you have two jobs, and you love David Bowie. Not to mention you're incredibly beautiful and witty and smart."

I laughed nervously and pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. I wasn't used to someone other than Anthony calling me beautiful.

"I'm eager to know about your upbringing," he went on. "Your aspirations. Passions. Life goals. I want to know everything about you."

 _Wow._ Talk about candid. If I didn't know any better – which I might not – that sounded as though Jareth wanted to continue to see me after tonight. _Right?_ It wasn't like I could tell him all there was to know about me in an hour. So that had to mean _something._

"I'm not that interesting," I admitted.

"Bullocks. You're possibly the most fascinating woman I've met."

I rolled my eyes. There was no way that was possible. "I highly doubt that's true."

"Don't," he said sternly.

His expression told me he was being earnest, but I had no idea what to tell him about myself. How could I possibly admit that I lived with a wicked stepmother and her daughters who treated me like a personal maid? OH! And that I really _was_ one. Part time. A maid who had cleaned his penthouse to be exact. If he knew I was an orphan who struggled financially and relied on the goodwill of her stepmother to take care of her, I was afraid he would look at me completely different. All the more reason to ask myself…why would someone like him be interested in a twenty one year girl like me?

I had two options here: I could either tell him the truth and risk losing the opportunity to ever see him again. Or I could lie.

I took a rather big gulp of my wine and met his eyes after swallowing.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

* * *

AN: WOWW I am the worst. I said two weeks and it ended up being months. I'm so sorry once again! Truth was...this chapter was so hard for me. And I tried avoiding it for the longest time. I didn't know how I wanted their date to go, what I wanted them to talk about, etc...then I figured it would be good to give some insight as to how Jareth feels about his job/life and why he gravitates to Sarah without having to spell it out. She's normal and he isn't used to being around someone who doesn't want something from him.

And yeah, the age gap? Meh. It may come up later more, but Jareth clearly isn't bothered by it like Sarah is. Yeah, she's still young and doesn't have * that much* experience, but she's a survivor so I'd like to think she comes across as mature to Jareth who he shares interests with. The women he's used to associating with are vapid and don't know who Machiavelli is.

The restaurant they initially went to is based off Le Bernardin in NYC. Supposedly super famous and delicious. Anyone ever been there?

There really is a dessert from Serendipity (such a good place by the way) that costs up to $1000. Super fancy! Who would spend that much on ice cream?

What do we think folks? Will Sarah be honest with Jareth about her life? Or will she tell a little white lie to make herself *seemingly* look better?

The next chapter will be PART 2 to their date night. We'll get a little more taste of UST ;)

PLEASE REVIEW :D I hope this was worth the wait...


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay, I got this out quickly! Hooray.**

 **This chapter focuses on a lot of dialogue between the two. Some 'romantic' and 'cliche' moments up ahead, but meh - whatever. It's a romance story, so why the hell not?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

I could feel my blood pressure spike as I attempted to nonchalantly ask Jareth what he wanted to know about me. Of course a huge part of me wanted to be as honest as I could without making my life appear depressing and pathetic; the other part of me wanted to run and hide. Though, based on everything we'd discussed throughout the night so far, it _seemed_ as though he wouldn't judge me for a single thing. But again – was that a risk I was willing to take?

I watched Jareth frown slightly, as though he could tell I was suddenly uneasy. He was a business man after all; surely he knew all about psychology, body language and how to interpret a situation. My poker face was useless.

"If you don't feel comfortable…" he started to say, but I cut him off before he could finish.

"No. No it's not that," I tried reasoning. "It's just…"

"What is it?" he asked with mild trepidation.

I shook my head and forced a smile. "You pretty much summed me up earlier."

"No, I don't think so. There's more to you than all of that."

I sighed, and finished the remainder of my wine, figuring out how to best to navigate this without insulting him and seeming like I wasn't interested in being open. When nothing came out of my mouth though, he went on.

"You see, Sarah." He paused and then smirked at me. "The way the whole _getting to know each other_ thing works is by telling one another the deep stuff."

I raised my eyebrows and chuckled. "The _deep_ stuff, huh?"

"Yes."

"Like what?"

He pondered my question for a second and then answered. "Like…what's your favorite color for starters?"

I shook my head jokingly. "Oh, now you stepped over the line."

He laughed. "Really though- what is it?"

"Purple," I answered shyly. "What's yours?"

Narrowing his eyes, I could see mischief lingering behind them. For whatever reason I didn't know, but his intense gaze immediately made me feel on edge.

"Red," he stated, and before I could chime in and say how fitting, he went on. "But enough about me. Tell me about your family."

 _Damn. He went in right for the kill._ "My family? Um…"

"Besides Toby," he added. "What are your parents like?"

I gulped and bit my lip. _My parents_. Jesus, when was the last time someone ever asked me that question? Now that I thought about it…had _anyone_ ever asked me that question besides Anthony? No one really knew the intricate details about my parents with the exception of several teachers throughout school, Irene, the girls, and Anthony and his family. I wasn't exactly miss popular growing up, so the subject either didn't matter to most people or it was simply nonexistent.

Feeling the abrupt knot form in my stomach, I tried my hardest to let not my eyes tear up at the thought of having to answer his question. It wasn't because I felt sorry for myself or even cared what he would think at this point about the fact I didn't even _have_ parents.

It was more so because I was now forced to think about them – really think about them – and every day it got harder and harder to remember them vividly. The thought saddened me. What could say I about them? My loving, wonderful parents who left this world much too soon. The two people who I didn't get enough time with and wished every single day that I could see them one more time.

 _Maybe this is why I've avoided dating all my life…to avoid getting close to someone so I could avoid this exact moment._

"Sarah…are you alright?" Jareth asked me worriedly.

Realizing I spaced off for longer than I thought, I let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, sorry. I um." I took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky, wielding myself to stay strong. Closing my eyes, my head returned back to its normal position and I looked at Jareth, who was giving me a look of concern. There was no choice. I had to be honest.

I braced myself and just let it fly out, all the while looking at my empty wine glass and avoiding his face. "My parents both passed away, actually. A long time ago."

 _Phew. Now that wasn't so hard…_

The instant relief of telling him washed over me, but I still hadn't made direct eye contact with him; I was apprehensive to see what his reaction would be, for I didn't want him to be repelled by me. And I for sure as hell didn't want his pity. So what _did_ I want? I hadn't a clue. I'd never been put in this position before.

Suddenly, I felt his hand reach for mine and automatically my eyes peered up at him from the sensation of his gentle touch. That's when I saw it – his expression. What was that? A look of shame? Disappointment? Something else entirely? _What was he thinking?!_

"I'm so sorry," he then said with what I took to be complete sincerity. His eyebrows furrowed. "I…I had no idea."

I shrugged. "How would you? That isn't something you tell someone right off the bat."

His eyes lowered before he answered again. "I understand, but I feel as though I pressured you into divulging that when perhaps you weren't ready."

I shook my hand out of his. _Great. I knew it._ He _wasn't ready to find that out._ "Not something you wanted to hear so soon?" I asked sarcastically.

His eyebrows furrowed even more. "What? No, that's not it at all, Sarah. I just…"

"Look, I don't need you to feel sorry for me, Jareth," I said rather defensively, cutting him off again. "It happened and I've accepted it. I completely understand if you aren't interested in seeing someone with so much baggage. I mean…why would you be?"

I wrapped my arms around myself then and clenched my jaw. It had gotten chilly outside, I realized, and I was beginning to shiver. Then again…that could just be because I was getting worked up and was completely unprepared to talk about all of this.

As I moved my hands up and down on my arms, the awkward silence lingered between us. _What was he thinking? And what was_ **I** _doing? I was single handedly going to fuck this up that's what I was doing._ I shook my head internally at myself and my abrupt and stupid behavior. Why the hell did I react that way? He hadn't even said or done anything to indicate he saw me any differently, yet here I was assuming the worst. As usual.

I sighed. "Jareth, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"Sarah, look…"

We both chuckled apprehensively at the realization that we'd started talking at the same time, but I insisted on going first. I had to.

"Let me go first," I told him. "I…I'm sorry for coming off defensive a second ago and insulting you. I just…" _How could I put this into words?_ "I've never really opened up to anyone before about any of this. My parents, I mean. Because the truth is…I've never really had to." _Here goes nothing._ "My mom died when I was nine from pneumonia. She had gotten really sick and it just…escalated out of nowhere. It left my father pretty broken. Naturally. Jump ahead a few years, and he ended up remarrying. I think he did so assuming I needed a mother figure in my life. _That's_ a whole other topic in itself, and the only silver lining to come out of that marriage was Toby." I paused and took a deep breath. "But anyway. Things…were okay for a while. Not perfect, but my dad seemed happy again and to me that was what mattered. But then…" _Fuck, don't cry, Sarah, don't cry._ " _He_ died in a car accident. A drunk driver hit him, and I was told he died instantly. I was fifteen." I stopped talking momentarily, attempting to gauge Jareth's thoughts so far. I could tell he was listening intently and the look upon his face was that of… was that empathy? I could also tell he was silently urging me to continue, so I did.

"After my dad's death, I…life just wasn't the same. No surprise there. I remained living with my step mom, her daughters, and Toby obviously. We moved from the suburbs of New York to the city and, God was that hard. But it did lead me to Anthony who has been a total blessing. Moving didn't enhance my living situation though. That hasn't exactly been ideal… I don't really have a relationship with my step mom or sisters. In fact, I might as well be shit on the bottom on their shoe. They ignore me most of the time, and if they aren't ignoring me they treat me like a personal servant. Let's just say, I don't get treated much like a daughter or sister. I've kind of been on my own since I was nine. I mean, even when my mom died, my dad was so lost that I was forced to sort of grow up then and there. I _really_ had to catch up to adult hood even faster when he passed, because at that point I was just kind of…extra baggage that my step mom couldn't get rid of. So I've just been putting all my energy and focus into school so I can get on with life, but it's been hard. I miss my parents more than I can bear, I'm not rich or sophisticated, I've never traveled, I've…never really had a boyfriend. In fact, my so called family doesn't even know I'm with you tonight because if they did, who knows what would happen, and the only people in this world who keep me sane are Anthony and Toby. So, yeah. _That's_ me in a nutshell."

I sniffled and looked away briefly towards the staircase that was to the left of our table, thinking I may need an escape if Jareth didn't say something soon. When I looked back to him though, the soft smile on his face told me that I didn't need to run away. If anything, it made me feel instantly relieved and safe.

"Thank you," he started to say, "for sharing that with me. I…I can tell you were apprehensive to divulge such information, and I can more than appreciate the fact you hardly do with anyone. But I feel honored that you did. With me. And I know it's only a small glimpse into your life, and for now – that's enough. The only thing I can say, Sarah is… how sorry I am for you to have lost both of your parents at such a young age. No one should have to go through that. But from where I'm sitting… you haven't let it stop you from trying to better your life or stop you from being _happy._ You could have easily turned the opposite direction and became someone who simply gave up and had no aspirations in life. Instead, you try _every day_ and if anything I get the innate feeling you've pushed yourself to become more. Look at you – you're about to finish school, get a career in the field you're passionate about, and you put so much effort into your relationship with Toby. Do you know how easy it would have been for you to just say 'screw it?' The thing I like most about you Sarah is that you're not selfish. And you're _real_."

 _Wow._ Why did I ever think he'd rebuff me again? That was so not the response I had imagined when telling this man about me. If anything… it seemed like he was completely and willing to accept one hundred percent for who I was.

I was nibbling on my lip throughout the entirety of his response, and I noticed I still was. I swallowed the large lump that had formed in my throat, and a small sigh left my mouth. Right when I was about to respond, he spoke again.

"Are you alright?" he asked, voice laced with concern.

I nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I am. It feels good to finally tell that to someone other than Anthony."

"Speaking of whom," Jareth said, trying to lighten the mood it seemed. "Is he…I mean, have you two dated in the past?"

A burst of laughter left me at that question. "Definitely not. You mean you don't know?"

Jareth looked every ounce confused. "Know what?"

"In case you couldn't tell, Anthony plays for the other team," I answered with a chuckle. "Always has as long as I've known him."

I could tell he looked relieved. The thought of dating Anthony in any capacity was weird and hilarious to think about, but I guess Jareth wouldn't really know otherwise. I couldn't blame him for assuming.

"Well that's…good to know," he said. "I'm not sure I could compete," he finished with a wink.

I blushed, and had to look away. How was he so good at making me feel like a schoolgirl in love? Oh right – that's probably because I was.

All of a sudden, the dessert that Jareth mentioned several minutes ago was being put in front of our faces and God did it look good. I didn't realize how much I needed this, especially after that deep catharsis. I wasted no time in indulging.

As Jareth and I dug into and ate our dessert, there wasn't much discussion except for the occasional "wow this is amazing," and "Chef Gabriel really knows how to cook and bake." Why was everything so awkward all of a sudden?

After a few minutes of weird silence, I could tell Jareth's mind was off elsewhere.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him.

"Yes," he said. "I apologize. I've just been thinking about something."

 _Oh, no._ "What's that?" I wanted to know.

He sighed. "If you don't feel up to answering, don't feel as though you have to. Alright?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"You insinuated your relationship with your blended family is strained."

"Yeah…"

"I'm just curious as to how. Why do you feel the way you do about being such a bother to them?"

I exhaled, trying to think of the best way to explain this. "Well…I guess it's because they treat me with contempt? Disrespect? Like I'm not a part of the family? I could go on forever. It's never really been a loving atmosphere, even when my dad was around. Irene – that's my step mom – always acted disinterested in me, and if she isn't berating me, she's either bossing me around or making me feel insignificant."

Jareth's eyebrows furrowed. "So, when you turned eighteen…what kept you from moving out?"

 _Shit. I hated being asked this._

"I mean, if you have a tainted relationship with her," he continued, "what made you want to stay all this time? Is it because of Toby?"

I exhaled. "Well, that's part of it. But it's mostly due to the fact that _apparently_ my dad never left a will behind. So that left _me_ with zero money to live off of, and Irene knew it. Maybe she was feeling philanthropic, I don't know, but she made a deal with me: I could live with her, rent free, until I finished college as long as I _helped_ around the house and worked for her company. So, I accepted. I couldn't really afford not to."

He nodded, trying to understand. "I see. And you didn't wish to live with Anthony?"

"He's offered numerous times and I've thought about it, but…I just couldn't do that Toby. Or to Anthony and his family. They've already helped me out more than I deserve, and I refuse to be a burden to them, too."

His eyebrows scrunched together further. "You're not a burden, Sarah. Don't think of yourself that way." Silence. Then he asked another question. "How do you know your father never left a will behind?"

I shrugged. "Irene told me so years ago."

"And you believed her?"

 _Not really, but…_ "Well, yeah. I mean, she never showed me paperwork to prove otherwise, so I was kind of forced into believing her. I didn't exactly have the means to argue against her, unless I wanted to end up homeless."

"Hmm…" he pondered aloud.

"What?"

He shook his head. "It's just curious is all. Would you really say your relationship is that bad off?"

I gave him a look that indicated, 'are you fucking kidding me?' "Yes. I mean, she doesn't physically abuse me if that's what you're suggesting, but like I said – she may as well treat me like an employee rather than a daughter or even a friend. It's hard to explain if you haven't witnessed it, I guess."

He pursed his lips, as though trying to think of the best way to get his point across. "I'm not implying you're lying, I promise," he said. "May I ask what your father did prior to his untimely passing?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, looking a little taken back by his random question. "He was a pretty prestigious attorney. He made good money if that's what you're trying to get at."

Jareth nodded his head slowly, and his eyes veered upwards, like he was trying to hypothesize something. "Interesting," he finally stated.

"What is?" I inquired.

"An attorney with no will left to his children…" Jareth said, still looking away from me. Finally, his eyes met mine again. "Tell me more about your step mother. What's she like?"

"Oh wow," I said while huffing. I placed my hand under my chin, my pinky grazing my lip. _How the hell do I explain Irene?_ "Irene is…well, she's striking, as much as that pains me to say. Um, she's very intense. Bossy. Judgmental. She always has to get her way, and I don't think she cares who she hurts along the way to make that happen. She's pretty smart, too. But manipulative and materialistic. And, although she has a weird way of showing it sometimes, she does have a lot of love for her daughters. And Toby. But lately – well, it's always sort of been this way, but it's worse now – she cares more about being in the socialite world and getting my step sisters to be famous rather than ensuring he's well taken care of."

I watched Jareth take in this information, and again, I could tell he was trying to process all of it. What was doing in that mind of his? Trying to solve a murder mystery?

"Was she like that while she was married to your father?" he then asked a few moments later.

My head went side to side and I frowned, trying to remember. "Yes and no. She's always been a little persnickety and underhanded, but I think she definitely got worse afterwards. Why do you want to know all of this?"

He leaned in towards me over the table, and took the hand that was resting under my chin. Our eyes met and he suddenly looked very serious. "Sarah, I don't think you need me to say that Irene has more than likely been feeding you a bunch of bullshit regarding your fathers ' _nonexistent will_.' I don't know the woman, but I believe and trust _you._ With that being said…if I were you, when Irene isn't around one day, do yourself a favor and…have a look around the house."

I could feel the sweat building up in my arm pits at his words. "What are you saying, Jareth?"

He sighed heavily. "I've been in business for years, Sarah. I've seen _everything._ What I'm saying now is…I strongly believe that will exists."

I gulped.

"And you need to find it," he finished saying.

* * *

Several minutes later, Jareth and I finished our dessert. We didn't talk much more about Irene, the will, or the morbid details of my parent's deaths any longer, something much to my relief. I definitely planned on taking his advice regarding the will to heart, and it was something I'd need to think more about later. All I knew at this point, was that I was happy that he didn't push me into talking about the depressing aspects about my family dynamics. Instead, he started to ask me lighthearted questions about the happy times that I can remember with my parents, Toby's upbringing, and how Anthony and I met. That was always a fun story to discuss.

"He pushed a _girl?"_ Jareth said, eyes wide when I told him. "Into the _trash_?"

"Yep," I answered, laughing. "Her name was Shelby, and she had always kind of...picked on me, you could say. During lunch one day, she felt the divine need to come up to me and call me a 'depressing sad weirdo.' Then out of nowhere I see this really cute guy come storming towards us and he yells, 'Y _ou know where bitches like you end up_?' Next thing I know, he had pushed her into the cafeteria's trash can which just happened to be right behind her, and said, ' _In the trash. Because that's where trash belongs_.'"

Jareth burst out laughing, the sight making me laugh, too. God he looked so cute laughing.

"That is much too good," Jareth said. "What did you do afterwards?"

"I just stood there, completely stunned. Everyone in the cafeteria saw it. Anthony was pretty popular, so it was mortifying for her. But it didn't phase him at all, he just turned to me, smiled, and invited me to sit with him. The rest is history."

"What came of Shelby?" Jareth asked, grinning.

"She never bothered me again," I answered proudly. "In fact, no one did at school." The tone in my voice suddenly shifted to that of seriousness. "Anthony has seriously been my guardian angel. I honestly don't know what I would have done without him if he hadn't entered my life."

"I'm glad you have someone like him in your life then," I heard Jareth say. "It's obvious he cares about you very much."

We looked at each other with fondness, and just then, Jareth stood up. I watched him as he did so, and saw his hand extend out to me. _What the..._

I blinked up at him, but took his hand nonetheless and right when I did so, he spun me around, all the while his gaze full of promise and longing and humor. He grinned lazily down at me when I was faced him again, and he wasted no time in pulling me into his embrace, his arm curling around my waist. He started to sway next.

My free hand rested on his shoulder and I grinned up at him, too, caught in his sudden infectious, playful mood. We started to move together, slowly. It didn't surprise me the man could dance, and he made it so effortless for me to follow.

We glided around the table, over towards the staircase, and backwards and forwards on the deck, the New York sky twinkling above us, and I couldn't help but let out a carefree laugh. He stopped and grinned down at me even more, his face inches away from mine. I immediately gulped at the close proximity. Being this close to his face, I could see the few lines of age etched onto his handsome face. Rather than detract from his looks though, the crowfeet only added to his sexiness. As our eyes remained locked on each other's, he swept some hair out of my face, his hand grazing my cheek.

 _Oh my god, this is it. He's going to kiss me! He's going to..._

Right when I thought it would happen, Captain Mike came out onto the deck and announced, "We've arrived back at the dock, Mr. Kingsman."

He looked up at Mike, and I could hear him grumbling. "Yes, thank you, Mike." He sighed and looked to me again. "It appears the time has come for me to take you back home."

We both said our goodbye's and thank you's to the crew and Chef Gabriel for the amazing evening they provided us. On the drive back to my place, Jareth and I shared some laughs and light conversation, but a growing sense of panic was beginning to build up in me. Not by anything Jareth did, but because I now had to go in the home I hated to live in and act like everything was fine. Though, hadn't I been doing that for years now?

It was a quarter past eleven, and I knew everyone would be home by this time. At least, that's what I had hoped. I hadn't even realized my palms became increasingly sweaty, but I knew it wasn't because I was afraid to face whoever might be awake. My anxiety was flaring up because mine and Jareth's date was coming to an end. He'd be dropping me off at home – well, near home – which meant one thing: that damn kiss was _bound_ to happen to now.

Unless of course, I completely turned him off by something I may have said or done. And damnit, if he didn't kiss me tonight, I knew this wouldn't go anywhere. That'd be end of anything between us.

"Ricardo, you can park the car just a block away from Miss Williams' apartment," I heard Jareth tell his driver. "I'll walk her."

Embarrassment washed over me. I felt like a teenager who was getting home past curfew and didn't want to wake up her parents. _Ugh, way to look like an independent and sophisticated woman, Sarah._

The car parked, and Jareth hastily got out to open my door once again. Taking his hand, I immediately felt chills take over my body from the frigid air. He shut the door, and told Ricardo he'd be back in several minutes. As we walked, I was beginning to shiver even more, catching Jareth's attention.

"God, you're freezing," he pointed out, and then…he wrapped his arm around me. "That's better, hmm?" he then said.

I nodded and realized I didn't want to ever leave his embrace. This was just too perfect being in his arms.

We walked like that for the next few minutes, until we were a few doors down from the apartment.

"Well…this is where I leave you," he stated. Did I catch a hint of disappointment? Or was that just me?

I smiled and bit my lip. "Thank you. So much. For…everything. Tonight was more than I could have imagined. Seriously."

He smiled back. "You needn't thank me. I'm so happy you were able to join me, as well as...open up to me." He paused then, and looked uncertain for a second, but continued talking. "You're amazing, Sarah Williams. I hope you know that."

I chuckled nervously, and looked down to the ground, pushing some hair behind my ear. That's when I heard something rustle nearby in the bushes, and, furrowing my eyebrows, my head turned that direction.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but…I'm hosting several holiday parties in the next couple of weeks," I then heard Jareth say, diverting my attention back to him.

"Your _infamous_ Jareth Kingsman Christmas and New Year's Eve parties?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yes, _those_."

"What about them?" I asked rather flirty. I _had_ planned on telling him earlier I was going to his ball, but it never really came up in conversation tonight. Now that it somewhat had…I wanted to see where he was going with this. And that's when I noticed he seemed really nervous for the second time tonight.

"I was wondering…" he began, then scratched his ear. "If perhaps…you might like to accompany me to either one, or preferably both…"

I could feel the smile forming on my face, followed by raised eyebrows at his statement. He must have taken it negatively though, because he then said, "Unless you'd rather not, I completely understand, they are rather dull and superfluous, I wouldn't blame you for saying no…"

"Jareth," I stated, interrupting him.

Hope clouded his handsome face. "Yes?"

"I would love to go with you. It's funny you bring that up, though. Because..."

"Hmm?" he asked.

I chuckled nervously. "This is so embarrassing, but...I was actually planning on going anyway. To your New Year's Eve party. Anthony, he uh...he won us tickets."

"You're kidding," Jareth replied, amusement on his face.

I shook my head, toothy grin and all. "Nope. Not kidding."

Something changed then between us. He stared at me with bewilderment and I'm not sure why, but I suddenly licked my dry lips and watched him tilt his head. Before I knew it, his mouth was sealed over mine and my eyes shut. I felt one of his hands on my cheek, while the other rested on my waist and I was shocked by how soft his firm lips were and the gentleness of the pressure he exerted. I sighed and his tongue dipped inside, tasting me in long, leisurely licks. His kiss was confident, skilled, and just the right side of aggressive to turn me on wildly.

 _Fuck. Now_ this _was a first kiss. Were they always like this? Anthony was a good trainer and all, but damn…Jareth knew what he was doing._

I could hardly process my own thoughts, because the next thing I knew – and I'm not sure what came over me especially seeing as I hadn't kissed many men before – my hands were in his hair and I pulled on the silky strands, using them to direct his mouth over mine. He growled, deepening the kiss as we stood there on the sidewalk, stroking my tongue with lush slides of his own. I felt the raging beat of his heart against my chest, proof that he was feeling whatever this was between us too, and not just me.

Just when I thought this could kiss could last forever and I would melt into the ground, a white flash interrupted us. I felt my face squint, for the brightness affected me even with closed eyes and we broke apart hastily. _What the hell was that?_

"Fuck," Jareth mumbled when he pulled away from me.

I blinked a few times, trying to focus on my surroundings and understand what had just happened. That's when I saw him – a man running away with a giant camera held in his hand.

Fuck, indeed.

* * *

AN: The blasted paparazzi. Always ruining shit! I wonder what will come out of that...yikes.

So, I went with Sarah being honest. How could I not? I mean, I suppose I could have gone down a path of her lying about her life and making it seem lavish and totally perfect, but to me, it would ruin the connection between she and Jareth. Like most reviewers said, he likes the fact that she's a normal person. With normalcy comes the occasional tragedy and with tragedy comes compassion. I'd like Sarah to remain selfless and compassionate.

A few things coming up: Christmas. The Christmas party. The NYE ball. More about the will - dun dun dun! Some questions will finally be answered on that.

I'm not sure how many more chapters I'm looking at at this rate. There's a lot I can cover haha. Anyways. Stay tuned, I want to incorporate more 'secret' interactions between S+J.


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